Bonds of Trust
by Kratos Wilder
Summary: Yes, it is COMPLETE! A true friend can never deceive you, but when they do, hearts are shattered, hope is gone, lives are lost, and bonds of trust are broken. WARNING: More than one character death! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
1. It Begins

Last night at like...midnight, I thought of this. Don't be expecting an update for a while, just because I have to plan all this out. I just felt like writing a suspense, more dark story, so here it is!  
**Also before I start, I have this to say. **There are some people who are alive that should be dead, but after thinking through, I needed them for my plot. Botta is alive and helping Yuan when he comes in. I guess you can say the Rengeades are still out there. Also, I have decided to put Anna in this story as well. (I guess you can say this will make a good sequal to POLM). So, other than that...that's all I can say. I hope you enjoy!  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything you see in this story! NAMCO does, so if you want to, talk to them!**

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**The Bonds of Trust  
**_It begins…_

_A year and a half can pass by so quickly. Trust begins to form and with time, that bond becomes unbreakable. However, trusting the unbreakable is a danger all in its own. The bond is a thin, fragile string and can hold up to so much. Once the limit has been met, all the time that was spent to form the bond is wasted and the bond is broken. One person can trust the unbreakable bond that took years to form completely and then watch as the next second destroys it all. This…is one such story._

_-----_

Genis was sitting in class at the Palmacosta Academy, where he went to school now. He liked it there. He learned a lot in class, made some new friends, and spent time away from all his cares and worries he left at his home. However, he began to miss those things after a year and six months in Palmacosta. He often received letters from his friends, but it wasn't like the good ole days when he could actually talk to them. He hated to admit it, but he missed his sister, Raine, more than anything. Her help and love were something that was not offered at Palmacosta, and it was the one thing he wanted to change.

Lloyd was doing well, or so he told Genis. Every month of two he would receive a letter from his best friend and would talk about all the things he was doing with his family. He would always send pictures of all the places he had been. Genis would often look at them and laugh. He had to admit, Lloyd knew how to cheer someone up. He was on a trip around the newly formed Symphonia with his parents in the boat he finally got from his father. Noishe went with him as well. He promised in one letter that he would stop by when he reached Palmacosta. Genis couldn't wait to see his friend again and tell him everything that had been going on.

Raine had become a member of the Asgard Archeology Team after a year of wandering Symphonia to end discrimination. Genis was a bit upset that he couldn't join her, but she said that his studies where more important. She didn't write to often because she was busy either talking about discrimination or finding artifacts. Perhaps that's why he missed her so much; she didn't talk to him anymore.

Colette was still in Iselia, helping rebuild the still destroyed town. Needless to say, Genis didn't think she was doing them any favors. If she was acting like her normal self, she was better off leaving them alone. Presea was doing the same only for Ozette. From her letters, they were doing fairly well. Regal was still President of the Lezareno Company, as well as a chef on some days. Zelos…well, he was still the same. He lived in his large mansion house and flaunted with every girl he saw. Sheena stayed in Mizuho and helped out whenever help was needed. Most of the time, she was working at the new Research Academy outside of Mizuho, trying to work on her summoning arts. Genis kept all his letters he received from them in a large box under the bed in his room. Now he could pull them out and read them whenever he was down.

Even though his friends were some hundred miles away from him, he still had company in the Academy. His best friend so far was Mighty Washington, the smartest boy in the Academy. He first saw him when the group stopped by on the world regeneration journey. After a tie on a test given, Mighty realized Genis' talents and welcomed him to the school. Once he finished the journey, he came back to join in the Academy.

Mighty was one of the people he shared a room with as well. After a year of talking, the two became good friends. Genis told him all about the journey, his friends, and his sister. Mighty seemed to enjoy listening to his stories and talked to him all the time during and outside of class. Genis' worst fear of coming to the Academy was being alone, so he thanked Mighty everyday for being his friend.

One friend wasn't enough for Genis. Along with Mighty, he shared a room with another boy names Edect Harper. At first the two boys didn't seem to want to know each other, but after a while, Edect became friends with Genis. Perhaps it was the love for reading that made them become friends, as they constantly talked about books. Edect was slightly older than Genis but not as smart. Every now and then, Genis had to help him with problems, something he did without complaint. He loved helping people, especially when they knew the person would appreciate the help.

A normal day for Genis was full of work. Everyday at five he would wake up to get ready for the school day. He would check his mail to see if anyone sent him something, cook breakfast for him and his friends, and read one of his friend's letters if he didn't get a new one. By the time him and his two roommates were ready to go, it was six-thirty; school started at six forty-five. They would walk through the campus and get to class seconds later. Each class was an hour, with six classes everyday. Tests were given out every other Friday to see what the students had taken in. Genis learned quick not to fail one of these tests to avoid repeating the lesson _outside_ of class time. He often wondered if he made the right choice in coming here when things were so hard to keep up with. However, when he wrote to Raine and she replied, she told him it would all be for the best.

After the six hour school day, the rest of the time was spent doing the countless assignments that they had to do. Genis laughed when he imagined Lloyd here with him at the school. He could see him throwing papers aside in a mad frenzy, trying to find something his small mind could understand. Then again, he knew that the school wouldn't be so great if Lloyd had attended. The teacher would constantly be yelling at him, just like Raine used to do, to get his grades up, when in the end, Lloyd would just drop out. He liked having Lloyd around, but he only needed him _after _school.

"What's so funny Genis?" Mighty asked from across the table. Genis looked up at his friend and smiled.

"I was just thinking about my friend and what he would do if he were here."

Edect looked up from his stack of books and smiled. "Which one? Don't you have like…a thousand?"

Genis laughed. "No, I don't have that many. My best friend Lloyd would be a killer here. He would make every boring day here worth it!"

"How's that? Is that you're not so smart friend?" Mighty asked.

"Yeah…he's not too bright when it comes to school, but he's really smart when it comes to fighting. But if he were here, I can only imagine what he would be doing with all these papers we have to do."

The other two boys smiled. "I want to meet this friend of yours. He sounds like he would be a good kid." Edect said.

"He is a good guy. He tries to be funny sometimes, but overall, he does what is best for everyone." Genis replied.

"Well, if he is your friend, I am sure he'll make for one good kid!" Mighty exclaimed. "I wouldn't mind just forgetting to do my work every once in a while." he sighed. "After a while, this gets really old."

"I know what you mean. My sister used to give us lots of work too. It was funny because Lloyd would sit there and complain about having to do one page. That's why he liked me so much I guess. I helped him do it."

"Genis…I can see your sister getting really mad once she found out." Edect said.

"You bet! She was furious with both of us when she found out. And of course, it was Colette who couldn't keep her mouth shut." Genis laughed.

"From the sounds of it, she got you guys in a lot of trouble." Mighty added.

"Yeah, but looking back, it was so funny!"

"No offense, but can we finish this homework? I have another three pages to do, and then we can talk." Edect said to the other two.

They both nodded their head. "Sure." Genis replied.

"Yeah! I want to know more about your friends and all those funny stories!" Mighty laughed.

"I can do that." Genis smiled. "Just after we finish this work."

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Okay, so there is my first chapter. You might get lucky and see a chapter here and there, but you might not. School starts on Tuesday and it's going to be a rough semester, so hang tight. Kratos Wilder will do what she can! 


	2. Lloyd's Arrival

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My mind has been on POLM for a while, until I began reading these books about murder and stuff, so it made me write this one. I know it hasn't gotten too good yet, but I have to set up all this to make it get that way. Trust me, I think some of you are going to like it and hopefully, it's a plot twist you never saw coming!

**Disclaimer:** Do I really need to put this here? No, Tales is NAMCO, not Kratos Wilder's stuff!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Lloyd's Arrival_

Genis looked out the window of the school, dozing off like he did every so often. It had been a month since Lloyd's letter said he would be arriving soon, and now he was getting very anxious to see him. The again, he knew nothing too big could have happened to him; he still sounded like the same, stupid kid he grew up with. He smiled a little at his comment and looked away from the teacher that was staring at him, along with the rest of the class. He hated the fact that if he made one small sound, the rest of the class could hear it as well. It was like he was surrounded by a bunch of angels.

"Mr. Sage, I don't think that this is funny. Will you please pay attention?"

Genis nodded his head, but the smile didn't disappear from his face. "Yes, ma'am." She turned around and began writing formulas down on the blackboard. Genis picked up his pencil and began to write them down on his paper, along with the other two pages of notes he had taken in that one period alone. He could picture Lloyd next to him, standing up and objecting to so much work. He chuckled again, causing the teacher to glare at him, but she continued to write.

"What's so funny?" Edect asked as he leaned up from behind Genis. He turned around and looked into his blue eyes and smiled.

"My friend, Lloyd. I can see him sitting where Mighty is and throwing the worlds biggest fit. That's all."

"I want to meet this friend of yours. He seems…cool I guess."

"Mr. Sage and Mr. Harper! You are disrupting the class!" the teacher yelled at the two boys. Edect sat back in his seat and Genis turned around, looking at the clock and counting down until the end of the school day.

Genis walked with Mighty and Edect back to their room. Before he walked in, Genis stopped by the mailbox and checked the mail. He smiled when he saw one from his sister. He hardly ever got messages from her. He followed the other two boys back inside and sat down on the couch in the lobby. He tore open the envelope and took out the thick paper. Whenever she did write, she wrote a lot.

"Hey, read it to us Genis! I want to know what she said too!" Mighty shouted and forced Genis to smile and read aloud what Raine wrote:

_Genis,_

_It's good to know that you are doing well in school, and are even having a challenge. You will learn with time that it was all worth it. I am also pleased to hear that you have made friends other than Lloyd and the others. I am so proud of you. I hope all continues to go well with school, for I have heard that Lloyd and his family are stopping by to see you. Don't let him rub off on you again, and you can tell him I said that._

_So, how is the school life treating you now? As for me, things are great. I would go into details, but I know you too well. Things are beginning to become more exciting with the new ruins and artifacts that we study and find almost everyday. I hardly ever do the discrimination speech anymore; I have become too busy with the group. We are now a few days outside of Palmacosta, headed there as well. I look forward to seeing you again. I will be there for a while, but I will be doing other things, but prepare to see me again, and I want to know all about everything you have been up to. You can expect me in a couple of days._

_Raine_

Genis loved reading her stuff, especially when she made fun of Lloyd. He was so happy to know that not only would Lloyd be coming to see him, but he might be here with Raine as well. He couldn't contain his excitement, and his friends were eager to meet them.

"That's cool and all Genis, but we have to do our work too." Mighty replied as he lifted a stack of books and papers from his bag on the floor. Genis smiled and sat with him and Edect on the circular table. He was too excited and he couldn't concentrate on anything. Lloyd and Raine would be here in the near future; that's all he wanted to be on his mind now.

An hour later, Genis and his friends decided to look over all their work to make sure that they had the right answers, and for Edect, made sure he understood it. Genis was in the middle of explaining a problem to Edect when a knock on his door. Mighty walked over for him, and Genis went back to explaining. Mighty came back seconds later, saying that the door was for him. Genis stood up, wondering who in the world would come see him at the apartment place the students lived at. He walked to the door and nearly dropped from all the excitement.

"Lloyd! You're here!" he exclaimed as he ran to meet his friend. He gave him a huge hug and Lloyd smiled.

"Glad to see me? Does school here suck?"

Genis smiled. "No, but it definitely isn't like old times! When did you get in?"

"About ten minutes ago. Mom and Dad are out…doing something. I never picked up what; I just wanted to see you!"

"Come in! My friends want to see you."

Lloyd followed Genis into the dining room where he saw Mighty and Edect doing their work. Genis yelled and caught their attention.

"Guys, this is my friend, Lloyd! He's the guy that you wanted to meet!"

Mighty smiled. "I remember you! You're that kid who made a…low score on that test!"

Edect smiled. "I'm Edect Harper. It's nice to meet you Lloyd."

Lloyd liked Edect, but he didn't like Mighty. He acted like a jerk who knew everything. So what if he made a 25 on his test, it was the best he had done.

"It's nice to meet you Edect. It's good to know that Genis has good friends too."

"He says that he could picture you in class, throwing fits and getting mad. I would like to see that." Edect laughed.

Lloyd laughed with him. "No, you don't. A dog could outsmart me on a test. That's why I had Genis. I just copied off him."

"Where is your family? Genis said that you went on a boat your father gave you with them." Mighty said.

Lloyd beamed. "Sure did! Best boat in the world! I love it! My Dad got it for me when I turned eighteen and after that, we have put it to good use. You should ride it Genis!"

Genis smiled, and Edect spoke up. "So tell us more about yourself. Sit down, it's a weekend."

Lloyd sat next to Genis and Edect and began answering their questions. "Well, I don't remember too much about my childhood, so I won't go there. I met Genis when I was about seven or eight…he was too smart of me. Ever since then, we have been best friends. We went on the world regeneration and had a blast!"

"I wanna meet your family! You have a brother or sister?" Edect asked.

Lloyd shook his head. "Nope, just my Mom and Dad. We have had so much fun over this trip! I heard Colette is still in school. Haha…life is great when you have great parents who take you out of school to go on a trip!"

Genis chuckled. "Yeah, tell me something, who teaches better, your mom, your dad, or Raine?"

Lloyd smiled. "Um…none of the above. My Mom teaches me now, but Dad is more like Raine and whacks me when I do something stupid."

"I'm surprised you're standing here Lloyd! You must have shaped up quick!"

"Shut up Genis. My Dad doesn't hit as hard as Raine does…but, then again…"

"What?" Genis asked, afraid at his friends change in attitude.

"I dunno…I don't know what's going on, but it seems where ever we go, my Dad is making sure that me and my Mom don't make a mistake. It's like he's afraid that something is going to happen to us."

"Lloyd, you have to realize that he found both of you out of sheer luck. He just doesn't want to lose you again." Genis said, feeling all the happiness leave his body.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Mighty asked in the silence.

Lloyd didn't say anything so Genis spoke up. "Something happened to his family when he was a kid, but if he doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't have to."

"I was three…my parents were running from a man named Kvar…when he caught us. My father had to stop my mother from killing me when she was changed into a monster…and he did…by trying to…kill her. My mother and I fell down a cliff once he had done so, and a dwarf found us and helped raise me and heal my mother. It was another 15 years before my father showed up again, but I didn't know that until a few months later when I found out from someone. At first I didn't believe it, but I had no choice but to accept that. After the journey, we went back to the house I grew up in and lived there for a few months, catching up on everything we missed. After that, my Dad bought us a boat and that's how we got where we are now."

"Your father tried to kill you mother? That's not a good way to show love!" Mighty yelled.

Lloyd shook his head. "There was no cure for my mom…and she was going to kill me if he didn't, so he had no other choice. My Mom told me that the look in his eyes killed her more than the actual blow. I could only imagine how painful it was to do what he did. I respect him for that, and I am glad that I met him. He is the best father I could ask for."

Mighty didn't seem so sure about that fact, but Edect smiled. "I understand. If I was in that position, it would do you no good to kill yourself because then the rest of them would die. I guess if she was going to die anyway, you might as well save what was left."

Lloyd nodded his head and Genis smiled too. "Other than that, he is a good guy. I always liked him…until he did that one thing, but I still thought he was on our side the entire time. I'm glad he realized his mistakes before we killed him."

The other two friends were out of the loop, but they didn't ask any questions. "So tell me something Lloyd, what are their names? Maybe we have heard of them." Mighty asked.

Lloyd smiled. "Oh, my Mom is Anna and my Dad is Kratos."


	3. Raine's Arrival

I watched a detective movie...and I had ideas for this one. The action is going to be kicking in in the next chappy, so enjoy what little peace and laughter you can in this one. So yeah...I hope I don't confuse anyone and hope it is good!

**Disclaimer:** How many times do I have to say this...I DON'T OWN TALES!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Raine's Arrival_

Lloyd, Genis, Mighty, and Edect were all playing a game of cards at the apartment the school kids stayed at. Needless to say, Mighty and Edect were getting to know Lloyd's stupidity and quickly. While playing a game of poker, Lloyd would drop his hand consisting of four different suits and numbers, claiming it was a full house. Genis slammed his hand into his head while the other two boys laughed.

"Lloyd, how can you have a full house out of that?" Edect laughed as Lloyd put down his hand.

"Look, I have one of each kind, and they are a king, a queen, a jack, an ace, and a ten! Tell me how can I _not_ have a full house when I have everything?"

"Lloyd, a full house is when you have three of a kind and two of a kind. That's not what you have." Mighty explained through Edect's laughter. "You're so stupid."

Lloyd glared at him, but Genis sighed. "Lloyd is that way, but it was a good try for not playing before Lloyd. It was a cleaver guess."

"Thanks Genis!" Lloyd said happily as Edect gathered the cards up to play again. When Edect was shuffling, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it, since I do that well." Mighty said as he stood up. Lloyd turned to Genis.

"I hate him. There is something about him; he is a smart-ass, and I hate that!"

"Just because he is smarter than you doesn't mean he is a jerk. He is really nice; you just have to get to know him."

"Ha, like I would want to get to know him."

"Well…if it isn't Mr. Irving, or is it Mr. Aurion now?"

Lloyd, Genis, and Edect looked up. Lloyd smiled and Genis got out of his chair. "Raine! Oh my goodness! It's really you!" He ran over to her and nearly knocked her over.

"I see you are happy to see me. I didn't know we would be having guests." Raine said as she looked at Lloyd. "How have you been?"

Lloyd stood up and smiled. "I have been great! Dad bought me a boat and we have been sailing ever since! It's so much fun!"

Raine nodded, but he knew she hated sailing. "That's great Lloyd. I haven't seen your parents. Where are they?"

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. They tell me to meet at the inn at uh…nine, and I have no clue what came after that."

Raine smiled. "Not much has changed then huh?"

"Nope! So, what have you been doing?"

Genis led Raine to a seat in the lobby area and Lloyd and the other two followed him to meet his sister.

"I have been doing archeology ever since we split up. I do some speeches here and there, but I have been traveling a lot to study different artifacts. It's fun."

"I can tell. I have seen the way you act at ruins, so I can only imagine what your colleagues have to put up with." Lloyd said.

Raine laughed. "Your sense of humor has yet to fade away Lloyd."

"I have to keep something so you can remember me." The group sat and talked until Raine stood up.

"Well, I do have somewhere to be, so I had best be off. I will be here for a few days. If you find something to do Genis, let me know and we will do it." Raine said as she opened the door. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye Raine!" Genis smiled and waved his sister good-bye.

Lloyd yawned and stood up as well. "Well, I had best be off too. You know my Mom, scared to death about everything. I'll talk to you tomorrow Genis."

Genis nodded and Lloyd left. Mighty laughed. "That kid is an arrogant prick! Who did he inherit that from?"

Genis was confused. "What do you mean?"

Mighty stopped and faced Genis. "You tell me. You said his parents are nice, but yet, I wouldn't get that from him! How can you be friends with that SOB?"

"How can you not? He is so funny! It's okay to be stupid every now and then Mighty." Edect replied. He rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Well, I have to go get something from the store. Wanna come with?"

Genis and Edect shook their heads. "It's okay. We'll wait here."

Mighty smiled and turned around as he reached the door. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you."

As he left, Edect turned to Genis. "I don't want to be mean or anything, but what is his deal all of the sudden?"

Genis smiled. "He doesn't like Lloyd. You're right; he is more about being smart and can't have friends that are dumb. I like Lloyd. He's a great kid. A peanut sized brain, but a huge heart. That's what I like about him."

Edect nodded. "Guess so. I had best be off to bed. I need to do the rest of my work tomorrow."

Genis looked over at the clock and decided that he too should be off to bed. "Okay, let's go."

-----

"I want him dead, understand me?"

Another man looked at the other and smiled. "I understand completely. What is it you would like me to do?"

"Investigate him. He should be headed that way and leaving in the near future. I want him dead before he does so."

"What about the others? What shall we do with them?"

The leader reached into his pocket and handed a small gadget to the other. "This…use this tonight. If they all die, then so be it. More of a shock. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes sir."

-----

"Where have you been mister? It is quarter after nine! You were supposed to be back _at_ nine!"

"Sorry Mom, I stayed over with Genis for a little while longer." Lloyd replied through a yawn as he reached his room. "You should know by now that I don't come home on time."

"You're right, and then you wonder why I have someone out there looking for you! You need to be more responsible!"

"You've said that like, a thousand times."

"I'll say it until it penetrates your brain. Go to bed. I believe tomorrow will be our last day here."

Lloyd plopped on the bed and slowly got under the covers. "Okay, whatever. Good-night Mom."

Anna rolled her eyes and smiled at her son, who turned his back and acted like he was already asleep. "Good night Lloyd."

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_Something is not right here. I…I can feel that something is going to happen. I know something is going to happen. But, to who…where, why? I can see two shadows coming closer to me. I can't see their faces and one is holding…a pistol. Why am I standing here? Why can't I move? Someone…he is holding me back! Who is it? Who is holding me back? I turn as far as I could, but his face is pitch black. The other two figures begin to talk…the one holds the gun, it's pointed to my left. Good…he's not aiming at me. A shot is fired…but I hear nothing. Who shot and who did he shoot? _

_"Don't worry Lloyd; everything is going to be okay." That voice…I have heard it somewhere, but I don't know who. "Say hello to your father when you see him."_

_My father? What happened to him? No…I can't believe this! That man…he shot my dad! No! I have to wake up! That gun is aimed at me, but not by the one talking. Who is talking to me? His voice is going to haunt me! The man with the pistol hands it over to the other man, and the one who shot my father steps through into the light._

_The shadow man with the gun holds it up to me and I brace for the worst. If my father was killed, I was going to see him soon. Just as the shot was going to be fired, I heard the throwing of punches and opened my eyes._

_"Dad!" He was alive! I have never been so happy in my life! The gun was knocked from the shadow man's hands, but the other picked it up…the man that talked to me, the man I knew. He aimed it at my father._

_"No! Please don't do this!" I yelled. I felt like I was begging for all the money in the world. I couldn't sit here and watched him get killed like this! His finger wrapped around the trigger. "Kvar…no!" Too late…he pulled it._

"Dad!" Lloyd woke up in a cold sweat and shaking unbelievably. Anna ran over to his bedside and wiped the sweat falling from his eyes.

"Lloyd, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Dad…where is he? Tell me!" Lloyd said between breaths. Anna saw the fear in his eyes and tried to get him to calm down.

"It's okay Lloyd. Kratos just went down to the lobby. It's okay. Tell me what happened?"

Lloyd began crying and Anna didn't know what to do. Whatever he saw, it was not pretty. He sat up and she sat next to him. "I…I was in this dark place…don't know where…and these two guys…one was Kvar…the other sounded familiar. Kvar…he shot Dad! He shot him! Right in front of my face! He did it trying to protect me!"

Anna wrapped her arms around him while he cried. "It's okay Lloyd. Kvar is dead. You and your father killed him a long time ago. Nothing is going to happen to him. It was just a nightmare."

Lloyd didn't say anything for a while until Kratos walked into the room.

"What happened?" he asked after seeing Lloyd's face. Lloyd got up and ran over to him and hugged him.

"I was so scared that he killed you! In front of my face! He killed you!" Lloyd cried.

Kratos smiled and tightened his hold on Lloyd. "It's okay Lloyd. I am fine. It was just a dream and it won't happen in reality. Okay?" Lloyd nodded his head, but the image of his father being shot by Kvar couldn't leave his mind. He didn't let go of him until he calmed down a bit. "Now, try to go to bed Lloyd. Tomorrow is out last day here. And don't worry about me son; nothing is going to happen."

Lloyd felt tired enough and agreed with his father and walked over to his bed. He pulled the covers over his shoulders and tried to go back to sleep, but he didn't want to see anymore horrifying dreams like the one he just saw. He closed his eyes and could see everything again. He tried to figure out who that other person was, but he couldn't. Maybe it would come another time…but he was more worried about Kvar. If he was out there…breathing and walking by some miracle, he knew the first person that he would kill, would be…his father.


	4. Raid on Palmacosta

Well, things begin to unfold in this one. I just hope I did a decent job in the descriptions.

**Disclaimer:** You see it and know it...I don't own it! WHICH IS EVERYTHING!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Raid on Palmacosta_

Genis woke up and looked around the room. It was night time; he knew that by the darkness outside, as well as in their room. He looked over at the clock and rolled his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. However, he glanced at Mighty's bed and realized he was still missing. He took off the covers and tapped Edect on the shoulder.

"It is two forty-five and Mighty hasn't come back yet. Where is he? We should go look for him."

Edect rolled over and closed his eyes. "He's a big boy. He'll take care of himself."

Genis sighed, but was not going to let something happen to one of his best friends. He grabbed his jacket and slipped on some shoes and ran out the door. Mighty said something about going to the store, so someone must have seen him, or maybe he didn't get that far. He asked people he saw (which weren't too many) if they had seen Mighty. However, they shook their heads and carried on their way.

He walked to the store that Mighty referred to, but it was already closed. He began to grow worried and began shaking. Something had happened to his friend. He grew more desperate while he walked, not having a clue what to do. He decided that he would ask Lloyd for help. He was always eager to help when he could. He walked over to the inn that Lloyd was staying at, but something made him stop. Something wasn't right.

The next second, a huge explosion shook the town of Palmacosta. Genis used his arms to protect himself from the flying debris. He could feel the hard stones cutting and slamming down on the uncovered parts of his body. He began to cry; he was scared to death. He looked up to see where the explosion had come from. His eyes got wide as he realized…the inn was totally destroyed.

"Lloyd! No!" He ran over to where the front door used to be, tears running down his face thinking that hardly no one survived that explosion. He screamed Lloyd's name, trying to, if by any chance, get a reply from his best friend. However, he seemed to be the only one walking around. "…Lloyd…no!"

"Genis! What are you doing here?" Genis slowly turned around to see Mighty running at him. "What the hell happened here?" He could see a mix of fear and horror in Mighty's eyes and Genis was forced to look away.

"Lloyd…he was here…it's gone! He's dead! He's gone!" he yelled as he began to cry. Mighty lowered his face to the ground, then put a hand on Genis' shoulder.

"Come on Genis. Lloyd is a tough guy. He'll be alright. I know it!"

Genis looked up and smiled. "Thanks."

Mighty smiled back and turned his gaze to the Academy. His expression changed from happy to fear again.

"Oh shit! Look Genis! That's where all our stuff is! Where is Edect?"

Genis looked to see what Mighty was talking about and was once again, he was terrorized.

"He's still sleeping! He didn't come with me! We have to hurry!" Genis and Mighty began running to the Academy, which was on fire. People were screaming in the background and before long, Mighty and Genis had to fight through a large crowd, running for the exit of the city. Genis couldn't see with all the tears in his eyes. First the inn and now the school. These attacks happened within twenty minutes of each other. The two boys reached the gate of the school, but two militia guards stopped them from entering.

"No, you are not allowed to go back in. It is too dangerous."

"But, my friend is in there! He was sleeping!" Genis cried and desperately tried to fight off the guard. However, he held him back.

"I'm sorry, but our people are doing the best they can."

"This is murder! We know where he is, so let us save him! Please!" Mighty yelled, but he too was held by the other guard.

"Sorry boys, but we are doing the best we can."

Genis cried and fought until he realized how hopeless his cause was. If Edect didn't show up again, he would be held responsible for his death.

"Please…he was my friend…no!" Genis screamed as he stopped struggling. Mighty did as well and walked over to Genis. At least Mighty tried to cheer Genis up, but he had no idea how bad he felt.

"Genis…it's okay. I'm sure Edect was smart enough to get out. I…I hope he did."

Genis cried even harder. "You don't understand! It's all my fault! I shouldn't have left him there!"

"Did you know what was going to happen?"

Genis shook his head. "No…but…"

"Genis, I know how that feels; I was gone too. Don't blame yourself. This was not planned, so we couldn't stop it. It's just what happens. Edect will be okay."

Genis didn't say anything and Mighty let him cry some more. He understood Genis' feelings. He too held himself responsible if anything were to happen to Edect. He liked him; he was a good kid. He hated seeing one of his friends die when they couldn't prevent it, or worse, had no control over it.

"You're alive. Good! I need you two to help me."

Genis looked up to see who was talking to him. The voice sounded familiar, but he didn't know who it was. He dropped his jaw when he saw who it was.

"Yuan! What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later, but not now. I found Lloyd and his family. Their alive, but injured severely. Botta is out getting your sister and meeting us outside of here. I need help getting them out though." (A/N: Remember, I need Botta alive for my story. Don't ask HOW he came back, just act like he never died.)

Genis smiled, happy to know that Lloyd was still alive. Mighty helped Genis stand up and the two ran with Yuan to the inn Lloyd and his family stayed at. The three of them ran past scared people to reach the inn.

"Lloyd!" He was awake, but clearly not in the shape to move much. He smiled when he saw his friend.

"Genis…hey…"

"Don't talk Lloyd. We have to get you guys out of here." Yuan yelled. Genis looked and was happy to know that his parents were awake like he was, so all they would have to do is support their weight, not carry them.

"Let's get out of here before something else happens."

------

Genis, Yuan, and Mighty reached the edge of Palmacosta and Genis was thrilled when he saw Raine with Botta. She was in tears, thinking something had happened to her little brother. She ran over to him and squeezed the life out of him.

"I thought you were dead! I have never been so scared in my life!" she cried and tightened her hold on him. Genis could barely breathe and she finally pulled away from him.

"I'm okay Raine. I wasn't at the school when it went up in flames." They all looked around and saw the smoke building in the night sky, with the bright flames lighting up the night. "I hope Edect got out alright. I would die if something happened to him."

"Raine, I need you to heal these guys." Yuan said, looking over at Lloyd and his family. Raine smiled and ran over to hopefully clear up the cuts and ease the pain. Yuan was about to walk away when Genis stopped him.

"I…I heard people talking…in the streets, saying that, the Desians have returned. Is that true?" he asked.

Yuan turned to the small half-elf and shook his head. "I can't see that being possible, but I have yet to rule anything out."

"Then why have you come here?"

Yuan smiled at him. "To figure out who and why they did this."

He began to walk off again, but Genis grabbed his arm. "Do you know who could have done this? Who are they trying to kill, or impress?"

"You're a smart kid Genis. To tell you the truth, I don't know. Tomorrow morning, Botta and I will go find some things in Palmacosta to see if the perpetrators left something behind. Until then, I cannot answer you're question."

"Why Palmacosta? Why the school?"

Yuan sighed. "I'm sorry Genis…I don't know."


	5. Devastating Loss

Sorry, I haven't been in the "murder" mood, but I am now! I think I am going to continue to write this, and hopefully now the suspense is building! More is on the way! Once again, I am sorry for the slow update and I hope this made up for it!

**Disclaimer: **How many time do I have to say, I DON'T OWN TALES?**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Devastating Loss_

Genis couldn't sleep well that night. It was already early morning, but he was still praying to anyone who would listen to keep Edect alive. Not too many people were outside the city walls and that left Genis to wonder…if they were ever going to get out alive.

When the sun came up, Yuan and Botta, along with a few of their men, walked into the destroyed town of Palmacosta to check for survivors. Everyone else stayed back.

"I hope that they find Edect alive. I don't know what I would do if they didn't." Genis said with his head facing the ground. Mighty wanted to say something, but Lloyd spoke up first.

"It's alright Genis. I'm sure he is fine. Plus, I think that Yuan is going to find something about these bastards, okay?"

Genis lifted his head to smile at his friend. "Thanks Lloyd. I guess I need to look on the bright side. At least you and Mighty are here with me."

Mighty smiled. "That's right! And don't doubt it for a second."

Genis forced himself to laugh a little. At least Mighty and Lloyd were there, even though he came close to losing him too.

"Who do you think would do this? Why now, when I am here? They can't be looking for you Genis. They would have only attacked the school." Lloyd said.

Genis nodded. "Well, that's true. I have no idea who in their right mind would destroy an entire city like that. They had to be looking for one of us; being me, you, or your parents. But we killed the Desians a while ago. Who would follow their footsteps?"

"You'd be surprised what people can do when anger gets the best of them. Just because the Desians are gone doesn't mean that their ideals aren't."

Genis smiled at Lloyd. "You've gotten smart Lloyd. Did your parents threaten to kick you off the ship if you didn't change or something?"

Lloyd laughed. "No, but my Mom came close to throwing Dad off!"

"Really?" Genis smiled.

"Yup! Needless to say, when she was about to knock him off, he caught her and almost threw _her_ off! It was so funny! You just had to be there!"

Genis could see that happening. Mighty smiled. "You're parents seem like the nice type."

Lloyd stopped and looked at Mighty, then busted out laughing. "My parents are far from the 'nice type'. They always argue, but I guess it's because their married. Isn't that what married couples are supposed to do?"

Mighty and Genis laughed, but stopped when they saw Yuan and Botta standing in front of them, both wearing serious faces. Genis closed his eyes and tried to tell himself that everything was alright. However, he didn't believe that.

"Where are Raine and your parents Lloyd?" Yuan asked, turning to Lloyd.

"Um…I think they are inside the House of Salvation. You want me to go get them?" (A/N: Pretend there is a HoS near there, okie?)

Yuan shook his head. "No, but I need you guys to come with me. There is something I have to tell you."

"Is Edect okay? Tell me you found him!" Genis yelled at Yuan and Botta. However, he didn't get a reply, which angered Genis even more. "Tell me! I want to know! I have to know that…"

"He's dead! No one except you guys and Lloyd's family survived that assault on Palmacosta! Are you happy now?" Yuan yelled at Genis. Lloyd, Genis, and Mighty were horrified. Genis fell to his knees and cried.

"No!" Lloyd walked over to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Genis. I feel like it's my fault as well. If I wasn't here, he might be alive."

Genis lifted his tear lined face and glared at him. "Don't say that! It's not your fault that I left Edect alone and didn't go in after him! I could have done something to stop that! What was I thinking?"

Lloyd didn't say anything. He didn't know what Genis was going through, so he sure wasn't going to sit there and keep pestering him over it.

"We are going to find who did this Genis. I feel just as bad because you left him to find me. If anyone is responsible, it's me." Mighty said as he helped Genis stand up. "Let's go see what this Yuan guy has to tell us."

Genis nodded, but didn't look up at his friends. They both led him up the stairs of the House of Salvation where Yuan and everyone else waited for them.

"Take a seat Lloyd. It's going to be a while." Yuan said as he pointed to the bed that wasn't already occupied.

"What is this about? Did you find out who attacked Palmacosta and why?" Lloyd asked as he sat next to his father.

Yuan sighed. "I did. I have a feeling that I know why, but then, I don't. I don't understand what they want, but I have an idea of who is on the hit list."

"Cut the crap Yuan. What did you find out?" Lloyd joked.

Yuan smiled, then dropped his head. "The Desians are back. The bomb that was used in the hotel attack was used by the magitechnology they had stored in the ranches and their ranches only. I cannot tell you _who_ did this, but it is quite clear they are after someone."

"So it is the Desians! I thought we killed them! How are they back?" Lloyd yelled.

Yuan lifted a hand to silence him. "I don't know all the details yet; their return has definitely thrown me for a loop as well. No matter, they are back and my guess is trying to get revenge on all of you. Those on the hit list are Lloyd, Kratos, Genis, Raine, and more than likely me."

Lloyd dropped his head. "What about the others? Are they just going to kill us first and then attack them?"

Yuan shook his head. "I do not know for a fact. You guys are closer, so you will be first."

There was silence for a while until Raine spoke up. "So the Desians are back, but exactly _who_ is back?"

Botta answered for Yuan. "We have our guesses that none of the soldiers are alive. The Cardinals have to be the only smart people to pull this off and not get caught."

Lloyd agreed, but he still didn't know how this was possible. "So what now? Where are we going to go now?"

"The safest place now is more than likely our base. We have enough men and security to keep all of you safe until we figure this out." Yuan replied.

"What would happen if they did kill one of us? What will they gain?" Genis asked.

Yuan sighed again. "There are too many unanswered questions Genis. I'm sorry. I wish I had more to tell you, but I don't."

The group remained quiet, trying to come up with a possible reason for what was happening. Yuan spoke up and broke the silence. "I do have a request to make. I would feel much safer if we didn't walk. Lloyd, I would like to use the boat you have to make this journey. The Rheairds are in Triet."

Lloyd nodded. "If it's still there, I don't have a problem. I take it we will be going to Izoold first?"

"That would be a good guess. We could go farther and enter at the small gulf around Triet so we didn't have to cut through the Ossa Trail. However, it all depends on how we feel when we get there."

Raine sighed and looked away. She was not looking forward to this, but since her life was in danger as well, she needed to stay with the group. She would tell the others at the Archeology group that she would have to stop. They would understand.

"Now, it would be wise to catch up on some sleep while we can. We are sitting ducks here, so the quicker we move, the better." Yuan said as he left the group alone. I'll be back in a few hours to get everyone. I'll be in Palmacosta. Botta will stay here. Don't wander off."

The others decided to catch up on some sleep while Yuan investigated the crime more. The more answers they had, the better off they were. They knew that as long as their lives were on the line, anything was helpful.

-----

"You failed! They lived! Not only that…they could figure out who you are and what we want! I despise failures!" the leader yelled in the darkness at the other man.

"Sir, his family is no pushover. I know from experience. However, their survival is most shocking. Perhaps I should take care of this hand to hand, bring him down once and for all."

"No, you will not. He is not important to my plans, yet. However, he might know more than I think he does. We'll have to keep a close watch on him. Until then, don't harm him. We'll throw everyone off."

"Sir, they are defenseless now. Why can't we kill them all right now? I have to get my revenge!"

"You will eventually, but when it falls into the plan. So far, it does not, so he remains unharmed. Understand?"

The man grumbled and shook his head. "I understand. What are we going to do now?"

"I hear they are going to board a boat later on today and travel to Triet, for safety. I want you to go with them. It is that runt's boat. It shouldn't be that hard to find."

"I will sir."

"You had best not be found either. You are going to help sink the boat. I have a feeling that we may lose one person, which is good. The others need to live. The longer we toy around with them, the more upset our friend will be, which is what we want."

"Why are we after him again? Why do we care?"

"He has power that will help us become a great people. When that happens, everyone will obey me, or he will kill them. He has the anger and we will provide the pain for him. That way, he'll be easy bait."

The other man nodded and smiled. "I cannot wait to see the day when all of those who defied Mithos will be on their knees begging for mercy. I will love that day."

"As well as I. I'm sure we all will Kvar."


	6. Plan in Motion

WELL...I wrote this last night, but at like...10-10:30 and I was SUPER ready to finish this! So, without further crap from me...here is the next chappy! (P.S.-I HOPE NO ONE GETS MAD, even though I know you will...YOU'LL find out why at the end.)

**Disclaimer: **Kratos Wilder failes to own Tales, I fail at a lot of things!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Plan in Motion_

Yuan woke everyone up and demanded that they get a move on. Everyone was ready to go, except Lloyd, who threw his pillow at Yuan, demanding more sleep. Yuan was about to leave him, but Anna walked back in the place they stayed at and dragged him out. Needless to say, he didn't argue with her.

"Alright, I have more news to tell you once we reach the boat. Let's go. I don't want to dawdle in Palmacosta for long. We're still in grave danger." Yuan said as he urged the group along. Botta walked beside him and whispered to him.

"Do you know who did this?" he asked.

Yuan turned to his friend and didn't motion one way or another. "I don't know, I just have a guess. Think about it Botta. One of the Grand Cardinals attacked the hotel where Lloyd and his family were staying. Tell me who it is?"

Botta smiled. "Kvar."

"Correct. However, I think Anna would flip if she found out that he was back, so until I know for certain, don't mention this to the others."

Botta nodded as the group entered the destroyed town. Lloyd and Mighty had to help Genis walk because he was crying too much and couldn't walk straight. They reached the dock where Lloyd's boat was waiting for them and they all got on. Raine was a little concerned, but as of right now, she had no choice. She had to trust that this went well. Lloyd had yet to have problems with it, so why would it break down now?

"Alright. I have a feeling that we will be stopping in Izoold. I can tell Raine is not going to like it on this boat for long." Yuan said as he looked over at Raine, who was grabbing onto Genis' shirt.

"Um…I'll…I'll be okay. I just…hope nothing happens." she stuttered as she sat down on the floor. "I want to live to see the bad guys. I don't want to die on this boat."

Lloyd laughed. "Please Raine. We haven't had a problem yet. This little baby won't let us down! Wait and see."

Raine took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She prayed he was right. The boat began moving and she tensed up again.

"Maybe I should have stayed behind."

"Raine! You're my sister! I would be afraid that something would happen to you!" Genis yelled as he sat down next to her. "I don't want to lose you."

She smiled and sighed again. "Well, I'm here aren't I? Might as well keep going."

Genis laughed and got back up to follow Lloyd down into his room. Genis was impressed how big this boat was. It wasn't your average boat that you would see in Palmacosta. It was large; it had to be at least 50 feet long and 30 feet deep. Down below the surface was a long hallway, well taken care of and reminded Genis of Zelos' house.

"Lloyd! Where did you get this kind of money?" Genis asked as the two of them walked down the hall.

"My Dad spent all this time with my Mom making this for me. It's the best present I could have ever asked for." Lloyd smiled. "You like it?"

Genis was taken back. "Do I like it? Lloyd, this is awesome! I have never seen something so big before! You are so lucky!"

Lloyd laughed. "I know. But they also said that this was the last big present I would get from them, so I have to take good care of it."

Genis smiled. "Yeah, I would hate to see the look on their faces if something happened."

At that moment, Lloyd froze. He didn't know why, but he turned around, like he knew someone was behind him. However, all he saw was Genis, looking at Lloyd.

"What's wrong? Did I say something?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No. I just thought that someone was behind me."

Genis and Lloyd proceeded down the hall, but Lloyd was beginning to grow worried about the feelings he was having. Someone was following him and he didn't like that.

"Do you feel that Genis? Do you think someone is following us?" Lloyd asked his friend.

"Um, no. But, with how smart you are when it comes to instincts, I would say you're delusional."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Shut up. But I am serious. Someone is down here and I have a feeling something is going to happen."

-----

Everyone else was on the deck of the boat. The moon was high in the sky and reflected in the water. They left Palmacosta about four hours ago and since Raine was doing well, they decided to continue on to the gulf by Triet. Mighty walked over to Raine, who had her eyes closed and smiled.

"So, you're Genis' sister?" Mighty asked as he sat next to Raine. She opened her eyes and nodded.

"I am. What has Genis said about me?"

Mighty laughed. "No, he doesn't say anything about you. Well…bad anyway. He says you are a great person. You are very important to him."

Raine smiled, then closed her eyes. "We are close. He's the only family I have." Mighty nodded, but didn't ask anymore. If she wanted to go into detail, she could, but he wasn't going to push her. "Genis talks about you all the time as well. I'm glad that he was able to make friends with you and Edect. He seemed like a good kid too." Mighty frowned at the sound of his friend's name. Raine sighed. "I'm sorry Mighty. I knew you guys were close."

Mighty shook his head. "No, it's all right. He was a good kid, so I'll just remember the good times we spent together."

Raine smiled. "You need to tell Genis that. He'll appreciate it."

Mighty looked at Raine and returned the smile. "I will. I'm sure he'll…"

The next minute, the boat began to shake violently. Yuan spun around, but he was forced to grab onto the railing for support. Once the shaking stopped, everyone looked around.

"What was that?" Yuan yelled as he walked over to the stairwell. He didn't see anything, but he remembered that Lloyd and Genis were down there and got a little worried. "Someone might be down there with Lloyd and Genis! We didn't check for stowaways!"

Kratos was the first person down the stairs, followed by Yuan and Mighty. Raine was too petrified to move and Anna was in tears. She didn't want something to happen to her son. Botta began looking around for any damage to the outside. He was the first to realize that they weren't moving forward. He shot around at Anna and Raine.

"We have to get off of here. The boat is sinking!"

"Lloyd! Lloyd where are you?" Kratos yelled for Lloyd while the other two looked for Genis.

"They should be together. We find one, we'll find the other." Yuan said, but Kratos was too worried about Lloyd to care. They walked to the third level where Lloyd's room was and stopped.

"Oh no! It's flooded! The boat is going to sink!" Mighty screamed in horror while the other two began shouting for Lloyd and Genis.

"Hey…we're stuck!"

"Genis! Genis where is Lloyd?" Yuan called back while he and Kratos climbed down the stairs to see the two boys.

"Dad! We're stuck on the pipes!" Lloyd yelled. Kratos and Yuan walked through the flooded hallways with water reaching below their chin and rising rapidly. They grabbed each of the stranded boys and walked back up the stairs to higher ground.

"Let's go. We are going to have to swim to shore. It's a good thing that we're close to land!" Yuan said as they began running back up to the dock.

-----

"I can't handle this! I am going to kill him now!"

"No! I told you to wait! This is not the time!"

"I don't care anymore! Revenge has taken over me and now is the perfect time! In front of everyone! I have to do this!"

"You're going to get caught! I can't let you do this!"

"You don't understand! If I blow this chance, I'll never get my revenge!"

"Don't you even think about…" He didn't listen to the rest of his master's orders. He didn't care. He turned off the projector in the dark room, right above where the water level was on the boat.

"I don't care if I get caught. As long as I have my revenge, that's all that matters to me!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his weapon, a small pistol he had been waiting to use since he escaped. "I will get my revenge tonight, part of the plan or not. I hope you've enjoyed life my friend, because it ends tonight!"

-----

"Lloyd! You're okay!" Anna yelled as she ran over to Lloyd and hugged him tightly.

"I'm fine. That was a little scary."

"What happened?" Yuan asked, trying to lose the water on his cloak and hair. "There was a blast..."

Lloyd nodded and tightened his arms around Anna. "Pieces of wood and stuff came right at us. It was some kind of bomb again, it had to be. Someone snuck on while we weren't on."

"We were foolish not to check, but it would be wise to let him rest in his foolish trap. We can swim to shore while he sinks with the boat. Let's go." Yuan ordered as everyone walked to the railing. Raine was in tears. She did not want to go through with this. However, Botta and Yuan offered to help, so she felt safe knowing that people weren't going to let her drown.

"Wait! Where is Mighty? Oh no! We forgot about him!" Genis yelled as he turned around.

"It's okay Genis! I am right here. I just fell on the steps." Mighty was holding his left knee, which was scraped and bleeding. "But…I am okay. What are we doing?"

"Leaving by swimming to shore. Let's go."

-----

In the shadows of the cabin, no one was aware of his presence. He smiled as he lifted the gun and aimed it at his victim. His back was turned, he had no idea that he was back here, aiming a gun at him. He positioned the gun in a manner that would kill the victim no matter how hard they tried to heal him; right below the heart. What a perfect way to die. He knew that he would die, but he would also be in tremendous pain before he did. It wouldn't kill him instantly, but a few seconds later, he would be dead.

_I have you now. I won't let this miss. There he is, standing there like nothing is going to happen. Boy is he mistaken. It's a shame I have to kill him. Perhaps that way it will be easier to reach the others. No matter, this is for you…I hope you rest in Hell Kratos._

With that said, the man with the gun smiled…and pulled the trigger.


	7. Revenge is Sweet

Well...I hope that no one is mad...haha, I know that MOST of you are. I want you to know that it was killing me to write it, it really was, so I am sorry. This one was a bit worse. Hopefully, you guys are still reading and can find it in your heart to fogive me. It will get worse!

**Disclaimer:** I no own Tales, okie?**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Revenge is Sweet_

The gunshot made everyone jump, including Raine who was already terrified enough as it was. Yuan and Botta immediately drew their swords and turned around to see who shot. Mighty was on his knees, hands over his head and his eyes shut tightly. Genis was shaking as he backed away from the cabin where the gunshot came from. Lloyd and Anna…were horrified.

"Dad!" Lloyd ran over to Kratos, who was lying on the floor, holding a hand over his wound. Blood was seeping through his fingers and Lloyd could tell he was having problems breathing. Lloyd knelt down next to Kratos while Anna ran over to the other side. Yuan sat in shock for a while until Botta tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, I see him. Let's go." Yuan looked up and followed Botta, sword drawn and ready to kill whoever did this to his friend.

"Raine! Heal him! Please!" Lloyd yelled through his tears. "He's going to die! Please Raine!"

Even though Raine was shaking, she walked up to Kratos and lifted her staff. After a few moments, Raine pulled back. The look on her face brought horror to Lloyd.

"Raine! Did it work? Tell me!" She didn't answer Lloyd's yell. She knew that the look on her face was enough to give him the answer she didn't want to tell him. Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. "No! This can't be happening! No!"

"Kratos please! You can't leave us here! I love you!" Anna yelled, but she knew it was too late to change that. She let the tears fall from her eyes as she laid her head on his chest. Lloyd, knowing that there was nothing left to do, stood up and walked over to the edge of the boat and cried.

Genis didn't know what to do. Lloyd was there for him when he lost one of his best friends, so he needed to help with Lloyd's loss. He sighed and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder when he did so.

"Lloyd…I'm sorry. I wish I could say more…but…I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

Lloyd didn't move from the position he was in and continued to cry. Genis had never seen Lloyd so out of it before, but then again, he never would have thought about him witnessing the death of his father.

"I'm going to kill whoever did this! I'm not letting this person walk away!" Lloyd yelled. Genis didn't reply and let Lloyd yell out his anger. "I can't believe this is happening! Why now?"

"Yuan said they had who did this Lloyd. I'm sure he'll let you kill him." Genis said calmly.

"We have him! Let's go! The boat is still sinking!" Botta yelled as he emerged from the cabin. "Yuan has already taken the shooter to land. He'll be waiting for us there."

Raine freaked out again, but Botta was going to help her. Genis and Mighty decided to get off shortly after Raine did for back up. Lloyd ran over to Anna, who was still hovered over Kratos' body.

"Mom! Let's go! I want to kill who did this!"

Anna didn't move. "No! I can't leave him here! I can't do it!"

"Please Mom! We have to get off before we drown! There is nothing we can do now!" Anan remained silent and Lloyd ran over to her and pulled her off Kratos. "We have to go!"

"No Lloyd! Leave me alone! I don't want to!"

"I don't want to lose you too! Please!"

Anna gave up fighting and Lloyd helped her get off the boat. Everyone was there by the time they reached the shore. Genis and Mighty helped Lloyd get out and Yuan helped Anna. Once on her feet, she glared at Yuan.

"Who killed him? I want to know who killed my husband?"

Yuan looked away while everyone remained silent to hear his answer. "I'm sorry. I cannot let you or Lloyd see him until we have more answers. If we did, you two will kill him."

Anna dropped her head and cried again. Lloyd walked up to Yuan and looked him in the eyes.

"Can you tell us who did it?"

Yuan turned around, not wanting to look into his eyes when he told him who did it. "I can…it was Kvar. I'm sorry you guys. I have to go in with Botta to get some answers from him. I wish I could say more, but I can't."

As Yuan left, Lloyd fell to his knees. "No…that's not possible. How did he survive? We killed him!"

Genis and Mighty followed Raine into the small inn where Yuan had taken Kvar. She knew that Lloyd and Anna needed their time alone. Genis wanted to help, but he knew Raine was right.

Once inside, Yuan and Botta were sitting across from Kvar, who was tied tightly to a chair and smirking at the others.

"Oh, did I make everyone mad? I'm sorry. Just think, if you wouldn't have caught me so soon, I could have killed Anna as well."

Yuan angrily stood up, but Botta stopped him from killing him. "Why did you do it?" Botta asked. "Why did you kill Kratos first?"

Kvar smiled. "That way I could take out the other two easily."

"How did you escape? We killed you!" Genis yelled.

He looked over at the angry half-elf, but then back at Yuan. "Next time, you need to make sure I am dead before you leave. I had enough time to escape before you idiots blew up my ranch!"

"You blew up the inn didn't you? You blew the hole in the ship and for what cause? Why did you follow them all the way to Palmacosta?" Yuan asked, still trying to calm down.

Kvar smirked again. "That is for me to know, not you."

"Dammit…tell me! One way or another I will let Anna and Lloyd kill you! You're not walking away from this…and we will make sure that you are dead!" Yuan yelled and scared everyone to death.

"You have help Kvar, that I know. Who else is with you?" Raine asked.

"I do have help, and he is my leader. We are going to kill all who opposed Mithos, reason number three why Kratos was on our hit list first."

"What were the other reasons?" Botta asked.

Kvar laughed. "Number one: he was strong enough to protect the whole group. Number two: for revenge. I have been saving that moment forever!"

"You had best tell us who you are working for!" Yuan yelled again.

"What will you give me in return?" The group remained quiet. Kvar smiled in their silence. "If you want answers, I want one thing."

"You won't get anything you big jerk!" Mighty yelled, causing Genis to jump a little. Kvar glared at him and looked at Yuan.

"What do you want Kvar?" Yuan asked, head facing the ground.

Kvar smiled. "I want Anna."

Yuan looked up at him and glared at him. He shook his head, but he didn't answer.

"Fine with me." Everyone looked over and Yuan dropped his jaw.

"Hold that thought Kvar. I'll be right back." Yuan walked over to Anna and grabbed her arm. The others, seeing no point in staying, left the room as well. It was dark, so they all decided now was a good time to sleep.

Yuan took Anna outside so he could talk to her. When he looked at her, she looked away.

"Anna, what are you thinking? Do you know how mad Kratos would be if I let this happen?"

"I don't care anymore."

"What about Lloyd? What would he say if he heard that?"

"He's old enough to take care of himself. Now, if you want answers, I am going…"

"No. I won't let you. Kratos gave his life to protect you, and now you're just going to throw it away and go back with him? I cannot and will not let this happen."

"You don't understand…"

"I knew him longer than you did Anna. I understand completely. You kept him alive when he thought you were dead, so do the same for him, okay?" Anna didn't reply. In a way, she knew he was right, but the loss was too much for her to bear. Yuan put a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me you won't do this."

Anna nodded. "Okay."

-----

"I cannot believe you did that! Why did you kill him? I told you to wait!"

"I was not walking away from that moment. Yell at me all you want, but it's not going to make me change what has been done."

The other man yelled in his face. "I told you to hold back! Now you have ruined everything! Now what, are you going to tell them who I am? What are you going to get out of it?"

"I will tell them everything if I get someone in return. My plans are more important now and I think you will like the end results."

"Inform me Kvar. Who and why do you need them?"

"I will restart my Angelus Project and you can have the end result. It will help give you more power than what you already have. That's a promise."

"You also said that you weren't going to kill Kratos and look what happened there!"

"It was for the best…"

"No, it was for you! Now you are going to tell everyone who I am. I'm sorry Kvar, but I cannot allow that to happen."

-----

Another gunshot was sounded and from outside, Yuan and Anna turned toward the inn.

"No! What if they killed Lloyd!" Anna yelled as she began to run back inside the inn.

"Stay here." Yuan said as he held her back. "I'll go in and see what…"

"Yuan!" He looked up and saw Mighty and Genis looking horrified.

"What happened?"  
"Where's Lloyd?" Anna yelled.

Genis frowned and tried to catch his breath. "Lloyd's okay, but…"

"Tell us what happened?" Yuan yelled, losing his patience.

Mighty looked at Yuan. "Kvar…he's dead."


	8. Questions

Sorry about leaving with a cliffy for so long. My mind has been on reading books and writing POLM, and now a job I believe I am getting. I have today off, so I might write another chappy. I hope I don't lose anyone (who is still reading by the way) in this, for there is a lot of questions and guesses. So, all I can say is that it will all make sense down the road.

**Disclaimer:** Kratos Wilder wants to own Tales, but I never do get what I want, so I don't.**

* * *

**

**Bonds of Trust  
**_Questions_

Yuan nearly dropped from the shock. He couldn't believe it; why would someone kill Kvar? The only people he was afraid of killing him was Lloyd and Anna, but Anna was with him and Genis and Mighty claimed they were with Lloyd when the shot was heard. Yuan ran inside and found Botta looking at the dead body.

"Whoever wanted him dead did a fine job. One shot to the head did it." he told Yuan as he walked in.

"Who did it! Why did we not see this coming? He was our only way to find out who their leader was! Now he us dead! Dammit! The leader must have known he was going to talk and came and shot him!"

"But how did he know? The only people in here were me, Genis, you, and Botta?" Mighty asked. "No one else knew."

Yuan shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps Kvar did, and he died for telling him. It also surprises me that Kvar worked for someone."

"Well, he did say that he escaped, so maybe it was to return the favor for helping him, if that's how they met." Raine added. So far, the group knew that was the only logical explanation. "But that was some time ago. It doesn't seem right that he would still be working for someone."

"He worked for Mithos, but did other things behind his back." Lloyd said. "Maybe the leader had a plan that he didn't follow or go through with."

"We may never know." Yuan replied and he looked away from the group. "All I know is that this leader is somewhere around us."

"If that's true, he must have a motive for following us." Raine spoke up. "What is his motive?"

Botta sighed. "This is a guess, but he might be after one of us. From past events, we can rule out Anna and Lloyd. It seems that Kvar just wanted revenge."

"Maybe that's why this guy killed him; he killed Kratos, which wasn't part of the plan. This leader must be a strict guy, which also rules out the stupid people. He's got to be powerful and smart to be able to do all of this and not get caught." Yuan added.

"But that doesn't answer why Kvar killed Kratos? Why didn't he kill me, or Lloyd?" Anna asked, on the verge of tears talking about the death of her husband.

Yuan shook his head. "My guess is that if Kratos had never interfered with his plans, it would have been possible for him to be a Seraphim. The rivalry goes back a while too. Neither of them liked the other. I can only imagine how he felt when he had to let him live when he a chance to kill him before when he was under Origin's Seal; if he killed Kratos, Mithos would have killed him. So, seeing an opportunity, he took it."

"Apparently, he was given orders not to, or the leader had no need for him anymore. Or perhaps, Kratos was important to the plan and Kvar's rage was too much." Botta added. "Kvar was our only answer, and he's gone. I'm sorry."

Yuan turned around and looked at everyone in the group. "But, I promise that I will not rest until this guy is found. I won't let anymore people die; that's a promise."

"We'll help you. No one hurts my friends or their family. I want to find this guy to, for Edect and Kratos." Genis said boldly.

Mighty smiled. "I will to. I hate whoever did this to Edect. Even though I didn't know him, I'll do it for Kratos too. I don't let people kill people for fun."

Yuan and Botta smiled. Lloyd turned and looked at the two boys. "Thank you. It really means a lot to me. I want to and we are all going to find who did this before any more people are killed."

Anna smiled and walked up to them. "I agree with Lloyd. I want to find this guy just as bad, but we also have to prevent other people from dying as well."

"Since I haven't said anything, I guess it's my turn huh?" Raine said as everyone smiled. "I'm ready. We never let people get away with this before, so let's do what we are good at and stop them."

"Yeah, let's go do what we did to the others!" Genis yelled as he walked to the door, but in his way, he stopped. "Where do we start?"

Yuan smiled. "Well, we might just have to do what Lloyd is good at, go off instincts. I have no idea where to start."

"We need something. Isn't there anything you know that can help?"

"Give me a day. I have something I found with Kvar that I might be able to use. I'll let you know what comes up."

-----

Lloyd was outside, staring at the water, trying to wake up from this nightmare. First, it was a near death experience at the inn in Palmacosta. Then it was the death of Genis' friend, then witnessing his father's murder. Now it came to this, Kvar was dead, who was the only person that they knew of that knew the leader. He prayed that whatever Yuan was looking into had answers.

"Can I talk to you for a minute Lloyd?" He turned around and was surprised to see Mighty walking towards him. He nodded and Mighty sat next to him. "I'm…I'm sorry about what happened to your dad. I didn't know him very well, but he seemed like a good guy. I'm sorry."

Lloyd smiled. "It's alright. I've only known him for about two years, back when we started the world regeneration journey." Mighty didn't reply and listened to Lloyd talk about his father. Each thing Lloyd said made him feel angrier and more determined to find the guy who killed him.

"I'm going to help you Lloyd. I want to find him for what he did to Edect. I guess we never did get off on the right foot, and I'm sorry. I know when I saw you again, back in Palamcosta, I was a big jerk. I'm sorry."

Lloyd laughed. "You sound like Colette. It's alright. I think I acted stupid too. It's not a big deal."

"So, we can be friends right?"

"Of course. You're a great kid, but maybe too smart for me, but then again, so is Genis."

Mighty laughed. "Yeah, he's a smart kid for his age. But thanks Lloyd. I hope we find this guy soon. I want to punch his lights out. See ya tomorrow."

Lloyd nodded and watched Mighty enter into the small inn. He looked back at the water and stood up, knowing that he needed to get some sleep too.

"I promise Dad, I'll get whoever did this. I won't let you down again."

-----

Yuan was in a room by himself, trying to find a conversation between Kvar and his leader on the projector he found on him. He knew how to; he did it all the time with Mithos and Kratos. He finally got to one of the conversations, but it was just audio, no picture of the enemy.

_"I can't handle this! I am going to kill him now!"_ Yuan recognized the voice as Kvar. _This must have been right before he killed Kratos on the boat, _he thought as he continued to listen.

_"No! I told you to wait! This is not the time!"_

_"I don't care anymore! Revenge has taken over me and now is the perfect time! In front of everyone! I have to do this!"_

_"You're going to get caught! I can't let you do this!"_ Yuan didn't know why, but this other voice sounded familiar. _Was that Mithos? Is it possible that he has found a way to come back too? Are there more people involved in this, or am I just going crazy thinking that that voice is Mithos? I know that voice, but whose is it? _

_"You don't understand! If I blow this chance, I'll never get my revenge!"_

_"Don't you even think about…"_ That was the last thing that was recorded. Kvar disobeyed, so the leader found him and killed him. He must have known Kvar was on the boat, so it only took a matter of time to find were they were. He felt somewhat better that things were coming together, even though there were some holes that he needed to fill. Who was the enemy? Why did he not want Kratos to die, or was he going to let Kvar do it later on? Why did he seem so worried when Kvar did this? Did he know he would tell them if he got caught? Did he care about Kvar at all?

"Have you found anything yet?" Yuan turned and nodded at Botta.

"I think I am beginning to make progress."

-----

The next morning, Raine was up and ready to leave. Despite the request from Yuan and Botta to stay together, she was going to meet up with the archeology group to look at some new findings outside where they were.

"I'll be fine. I'll be gone for a day at the most. One leader can't take on fifteen people and you guys not hear the fighting." she said as she said good-bye to the group. "Don't miss me too much."

Lloyd watched as she left and joined Mighty and Genis in the lobby area for breakfast. "I'm hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten in forever."

"Well, I'm glad some things about you will never change Lloyd." Genis smiled as he sat down next to him.

Yuan ran down to the lobby and looked around. "Where the hell is Raine? I told her to stay!"

Genis laughed. "You can't tell her to do anything. Don't go after her either; you won't come back."

Yuan slammed his fists on the table. "I _told_ her not to leave!" he yelled and scared the three boys to death.

"You act like something is going to happen. If that's the case, we'll be able to hear it. The place they are going is a mile or two away. She knows what she is doing."

"Kratos was right in front of our face and we couldn't save him." Yuan yelled at them. Genis began to get worried, but Lloyd stood up.

"Look, we were stupid and Kvar didn't follow orders! It was a mistake that anyone could have made at anytime!"

"So I won't let it happen again!" Yuan snapped back.

"What's going to happen to Raine? She…she'll be okay, right?" Genis asked.

Yuan sighed. "I guess we're just going to have to find out. One of us should keep watch, to make sure that no one approaches the place."

The three boys nodded and everyone else decided to rotate every hour and watch for anything suspicious. Yuan couldn't believe that Raine left when everyone was in danger. They didn't know the leader, so he could have killed anyone for any reason.

_Perhaps that's the question we should be asking, what are his reasons for attacking?_


	9. Devastation

Before I get killed, I guess I want to say...uh...I don't own Tales. Hopefully, I'll live to say that again.**

* * *

**

**Bonds of Trust  
**_Devastation_

_"Where am I?" I looked around the area and laughed at my stupidity. "I know where I am. I'm outside the inn. I'm on duty." I looked out towards the ruins where my friend went and shut my eyes. "Nothing has happened, so nothing will."_

_A laugh came from behind me and I turned around. "That's what you think you fool. Someone is going to die. Actually, that is incorrect. Lots of people will be joining your father."_

_A dark figure in the form of a teenager, much like me, continued to laugh. I reached up to kill him when a blast went off. I looked over my shoulder and saw black smoke fly into the sky. It was like an atomic bomb went off, and while I was on duty._

_"No!"_

_The figure laughed. "I thought you would like that little show Lloyd. This is a warning. It hasn't happened yet, but if you don't act, someone…no…lots of people will die."_

"Raine!" Lloyd screamed as he shot up from under the covers. He took his dream seriously and walked out of the inn. Mighty was sleeping, he had been out here for 45 minutes. He sighed, but he couldn't get rid of his nightmare. He had to tell someone.

"Mighty! Wake up!" he yelled as he shook his friend until his eyes came open.

"What is it? Break time?" he asked.

Lloyd shook his head. "I had a dream. There's going to be an explosion at the ruins. They're all going to die!"

Mighty smiled. "Lloyd, it was just a dream."

"I had one before my father died. I'm not ignoring this one."

Mighty looked up at him in fear. "Do you think we should go get the others?"

Lloyd shook his head. "We have to go now. I don't know how much time we have left." Mighty didn't reply and followed Lloyd toward the ruin area Raine and her team were visiting. "We have to hurry. I don't know how much time we have left."

-----

_Why was he afraid to get caught? _Is_ he afraid to get caught? Why did Kvar not show his face when he shot Kratos? And why did he shoot him with his back turned? _

"Yuan, you have been up all night. You need to stop and get some rest."

Yuan smiled. "Thanks Botta, but I can't rest on this. There are so many unanswered questions. I have to figure this out."

Botta sighed. "You'll be able to think better when you sleep."

"Not today. I'm getting close to figuring out some of these questions and then, everything goes blank. It's like my mind is playing games on me."

"Probably because you are tired."

Yuan laughed. "Maybe, but if I sleep now, something could happen."

Genis popped his head in the open door. "Who's supposed to be on the look-out?"

Yuan looked at a near by clock and realized it was supposed to be a new person. "I think it is Lloyd. He probably slept through it and poor Mighty is waiting for a change."

"But, Lloyd's not in his room. I checked five minutes ago."

Yuan looked up at Genis. "What?" He stood up and walked to the boy's room and saw that Genis was telling the truth. He looked around for any idea where he would have gone. According to Genis, no one was on guard now. "Where is Mighty? He was on guard before Lloyd was?"

Genis shook his head. "I don't know. Did the leader guy take them? Please tell me he didn't!"

Yuan didn't reply and ran out of the inn, hoping for anything to come out and tell him that the two boys were okay. He looked into the night, but with the clouds blocking every form of light, it was impossible to track something down.

"Yuan." Botta yelled from behind him.

"What is it? Do you know where Lloyd and Mighty are? We need to find them before it's too late."

"Anna's gone too."

-----

"Alright, Raine lied when she said it was a mile away! We have been running forever Lloyd." Mighty said as he came to a stop and placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Lloyd stopped and did the same, not wanting to leave his friend behind. "I know! We have been running for what, ten-twenty minutes? Where is this place?"

Lloyd got an answer, but not the one he was looking for. A huge explosion was heard and it easily caught the two boy's attention. Lloyd could feel his heart stop as he looked out at the place where the bomb went off. He shook his head in disbelief and ran over to the area. Tears were filling his eyes just thinking about all the possibilities that could have happened, more than likely the worst. No one could survive a blast like that, and he knew it.

"No…please…this can't be happening!" Lloyd said as his vision began to get too blurry.

"Lloyd! What are you doing? Get away from there! Things are going to fall on you and kill you!" Mighty yelled from a few feet back. "Please stop Lloyd!"

He fell to his knees, knowing that everyone was more than likely dead. He saw a shadow begin to form in the ground and he looked up. He was too close to the blast and a large rock was getting ready to fall on him. He shook his head; he didn't care. However, someone did because he felt a sharp pain in his back and found his face in the dirt.

"Lloyd, what the hell are you thinking? You could have been killed?" Mighty yelled from on top of him. "There is nothing we can do now. We have to leave before we get killed as well!"

Lloyd shook him off and stood up. "I can't! They need my help! Please help me!"

Mighty sat there, stunned that he would want to go and help people that were already dead. "Lloyd, they're dead, there's nothing was can do about that. We have to get out of here before we get killed as well!"

"I don't care if I die! I want to find them!"

"Lloyd! What are you doing?"

Hearing his name from someone other than Mighty, he turned around. "Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Getting you out of trouble like I usually do. Let's go or you both are going to be killed!"

"I can't leave them Mom! They might be alive!"

Anna grabbed Lloyd's arm and dragged him away. "Do you want to die? If you go in there, you're going to be killed! I won't lose the last thing I have left Lloyd."

He wanted to fight back, but he let his mother drag him away with Mighty on their heels. About halfway back, they stopped and turned to see the destruction.

"Those people never had a chance." Lloyd said as he cried into his mother's shoulder. "This is all my fault!"

Anna stroked his hair, trying to get him to calm down. "It's not your fault Lloyd. You didn't plant the bomb, so you don't have to feel guilty at all."

"I'm sure someone survived Lloyd. Don't feel too bad." Mighty replied, trying to cheer him up a bit. "We should go tell the others what happened."

"You don't need to."

"Yuan! Did…did you see…"

"I saw what happened, and I am afraid so did Genis. I hate to admit this, but I don't think Raine survived."

Lloyd went back to crying. "No! I could have stopped this! Now Genis won't ever talk to me again!"

Mighty could feel the tears coming to his eyes as well. Genis had lost two close people, Edect and now Raine. He wouldn't believe Yuan until he found out for himself if she was. He didn't want to let Genis down, so he had to have some sort of hope for him.

"Lloyd, I doubt that you knew what was going on." Yuan said calmly.

"I knew this was going to happen. I saw it in my dream, just like I saw my father die in one."

This news sparked Yuan's attention. Had he really seen everything that happened? He looked at Lloyd. "Tell me what you saw. This might be very helpful Lloyd."

They walked back to the inn and Mighty went to go check up on Genis while Lloyd sat with Yuan and Botta.

"I…I had a dream a few hours ago that I saw a bomb go off where it did tonight. I was asleep, on duty, when it happened, which is how I saw Mighty when I walked outside. There was also a figure that I couldn't make out in the shadows. He laughed at me and told me that the dream was a warning and told me to stop it from happening."

Yuan looked taken back and looked away from Lloyd. "So, it was like he was talking to you in your dream, correct?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, it was like I wasn't asleep at all."

"What did the shadow look like?"

"He was a little shorter than me and his hair was kind of spiked, but not too much. As for the color of his hair I don't know, but he also wore some kind of shades over his eyes, so I couldn't see them either."

"Was he in your other dream?"

"He was more of a blob in the darkness, so I didn't see hardly anything. Kvar was the only person in my dream I could make out, other than Dad."

"What happened in that one?"

Lloyd took a deep breath. "I was pinned against the wall and Kvar was in front of me. That shadow figure held a gun to me, but Dad knocked it away. Then Kvar picked it up and shot my Dad! That's when I woke up."

Yuan took a second to think about what he said and wrote it all down. He had more of a description for this guy and now they could scratch more people off their list.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about those dreams? Was anyone else in there?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No, that's all I heard and saw. I'm sorry."

Yuan smiled. "Lloyd, this has actually helped a great deal. Your description will probably help, even if it was un-detailed."

"But, is it the leader? He looked like, a kid…like me?"

Yuan wrote that down as well. "Come with me. I have some audio of his voice. Let's see if it is the same person. Does he sound familiar to you?"

As they walked, Lloyd nodded his head. "He does. It sounds like Mithos…but his hair was longer."

"Maybe it's not anymore, or maybe it's not Mithos."

They reached the room that Yuan had kept the projector in. He played the part that he had and Lloyd listened.

"That voice, it sounds so…familiar."  
"Is that the same voice in your dreams?" Yuan asked.

Lloyd thought, then nodded. "It is. That is the same voice, so I guess I have seen the leader."


	10. One Step Closer

Alright! I am still alive after TWO deaths...so lets just say that I hope I am alive after THREE! Yes, here is to another, and probably the last before you find out who the bad guy is. I thought through this, and I hope it works! Let's just say that if you are confused and dying to know who it is, I have done my job! P.S: it's not too much longer until you know who...so I hope you keep reading!

**Disclaimer:** Why do I bother...I don't own Tales of Symphonia, okay?**

* * *

**

**Bonds of Trust  
**_One Step Closer_

After Lloyd's talk with Yuan, Lloyd walked up to talk to Genis about what happened. He didn't want to, but he had been there for him when Kratos died, so he should be there for him. Yuan however, remained in the room and pondered what Lloyd had told him.

_If that was the leader that he saw in his dream, why is he sending his message to Lloyd? Why does he want us to know what he is going to do? Is it because we are that helpless and can't stop it even if we tried? Raine and Kratos are dead, just like Lloyd had seen, and pretty much the same way as he saw it. Why them? Was Raine a mistake also, and who killed her, who planted the bomb? The way Lloyd made it sound, the leader is a child. But…a child? Someone like Mithos, same voice and attitude, same height and look. Is it Mithos? If so, how did he come back, and who will he attack next?_

"…I want to tell you something I saw."

Yuan snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the person in the doorway. "Anna…what are you doing?"

She walked in the room and looked down at the ground. "I think I saw who did it."

She had his attention now. "How do you know that?"

"While I was out, I saw someone walking toward the ruins about an hour before the bomb went off. I didn't see anything just because it was dark. However, I saw him run back to the inn. He has to be in here somewhere."

Yuan shot up out of his seat and put his hands on her shoulder. "What did he look like? Tell me what you saw."

Anna sighed, then continued. "He was short, perhaps someone like Genis' size. He wore black and I was too far away to catch anything else of him."

"You think he was a child?"

"I think he was getting paid or is super smart to have been able to hide that bomb and not get caught."

Yuan thought about what she had just said. He tried to visualize this person from what Anna and Lloyd had told him.

_He's short, more than likely a child, perhaps someone with a height defect. This person has to be intelligent if they didn't get caught. Someone who looks like Mithos from what Lloyd could see…it just might be him. Now that I think about it, everything makes sense if it was him. But why has he been hiding from us for so long, and why did he want Kvar back if he didn't want him to kill Kratos? He could have done it himself, so why bring him back into all of this? He never liked him. Maybe it's not Mithos after all._

"What happened after that? Do you know?"

Anna shook her head. "I didn't think that he would have planted a bomb inside. I thought he went to check on someone. If I would have known it was a bomb, I would have done something to stop it."

"Alright well, I think we al could use some sleep now. We'll leave tomorrow before this leader catches us off guard."

Anna nodded and left the room. He sat back down, writing all his thoughts on paper. He was interrupted when Botta ran in and nearly scared him to death.

"Sir, we have a message from someone, and we believe it is the leader."

Yuan walked over to him and took the paper he held in his hand. The look on Botta's face when he took it scared him, but he wanted to see what Mr. Leader had for them. He took a deep breath and began to read.

_I see you have yet to figure me out. Damn, that's a real shame! You are all so stupid, and I thought I had a challenge. Two people have died at your expense, so why haven't you found me yet? I have my eyes on a third, someone who I think is catching on to me. But, be ready for anything. After all, I am the all powerful nemesis! I'll kill all of those who hate me, even if they never shown it before! I know it's in their minds! Mithos…didn't know him, but boy what I heard sounded good! He was my idol for setting this up! Man, I'm giving help to you…so work!_

Yuan almost dropped the paper he was so confused. _Dammit! It's not Mithos! Who knew Mithos…through someone else? Who knew Mithos and told people about him…in a good way? Heck, the bastard might be lying too. Mithos was good at that. _

Yuan thought on that last question and a name popped in his head. _So far, it fits the description we have been given, but I highly doubt _he_ would do anything. _He shook his head and went back to thinking. He reread the note for anything that seemed to stick out, but nothing did.

_You win Mr. Leader. One day however, I am going to find you, and kill you._

_-----_

Lloyd and Mighty walked out of Genis' room together and left him alone. So far, they talked to him for a few hours, but nothing worked. He kept screaming at anyone and anything for what happened to his sister. He felt like he had nothing to live for anymore. They at least snapped him out of the thought of suicide and Lloyd took a deep breath. If they wouldn't have snapped him out when they did, things could have taken a turn for the worse.

"I can't believe someone would blow up that place! I mean, if they were after Raine, why did they go after the entire group?" Lloyd yelled.

Mighty sat down on the couch in the lobby. "I don't know Lloyd. All I know is that some people are like that. That Kvar guy was a jerk too. I can't believe that he killed your father when it wasn't even part of the plan!"

Lloyd smiled. "Yeah, that really makes me mad too." He yawned and Lloyd decided that he would head up to bed. "Well, I appreciate what you have done with Genis while he goes through all of this. I'm glad he has more friends, other than me."

Mighty laughed and watched him go up to his room. "I'll see you later Lloyd."

Lloyd nodded, but shut the door as a 'good-night' response. He sat on his bed and smiled, for an unknown reason. He seemed happy after his talk with Mighty. Before all of this tragedy started, he never would have pictured them being close friends. Now, it felt like he was another Genis. He liked him, and with that thought he fell asleep.

-----

_"I am so tired! Why can't I fall asleep? Something is bothering me! Hmm…" I sat up in my bed, trying to think everything through. What was bothering me and why was it bothering me? It seemed to be a conversation between me and someone, but I couldn't remember who. Was it that long ago, or is my memory really that bad? Maybe I still can't get over my father's death. Just thinking about that night will give me nightmares in the days to come, even when I am awake! But…I guess what makes me really mad is the fact that it wasn't part of the plan! Even Yuan agreed with me! I don't know why we are hiding that kind of information, but Yuan told me to do so, so I would. If it would help him find the guy, then so be it. _

_All of the sudden, I thought of something that I never would have expected. Everything came together! I felt everything go cold in my body and I stood up in a cold sweat. I knew who he was…I think. I remembered that conversation! I knew who it was with!_

Lloyd shot out of bed, breathing hard and trying to get his thoughts together. He was shaking beyond control and he remembered everything from his dream. He had to tell Yuan before something happened, but unfortunately, he didn't get that far.

"I see you have finally figured me out."

Lloyd froze in horror as a gun was lifted by someone he knew. "Wha…what are you doing?"

"You were catching on to me. I play to win Lloyd, not to lose, and I do what it takes to make sure it stays that way."

"You're the leader! You were the one who blew up the inn in Palmacosta!"

"No, I had Kvar take care of that for me."

"Why did you let him kill my father? Why did you blow up the ruins and kill Raine and countless other people?"

"I told Kvar not to, but he didn't listen to me. However, I had a feeling that it wouldn't take long until he figured me out, so it all worked out okay. Raine was the same way. I know from experience that you guys will _never_ figure me out, and now I can do what I have been dying to since I knew you…get rid of you for good!"

Lloyd ran at him to knock the gun away, but he was too late. The gun had been fired and he fell to the ground.

"Join your father in hell Lloyd. Perhaps I'll get the whole family up there soon…maybe, even, in a few minutes."


	11. Out of Time

Not much to say about this one, but I hope people read it, because more clues are given here! WHO IS THE BAD GUY? If you don't know by the end, uh...I dunno. Just read and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I DON'T OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Out of Time_

The gunshot caught Yuan's attention, as well as everyone else's. They all ran into the direction of the shot and to their surprise, no one came out. Yuan began to wonder if they wanted to be found, or was that shot a warning sign. Then again, there was also the window open for an escape route. He opened the door and he stopped dead at what he saw.

Genis screamed. "No! Lloyd!" He ran over to his friend's side and shook him, trying to see if there was a possibility that he could still be alive. Everyone saw the amount of blood around him and Yuan had a feeling Lloyd was strong, but losing that much blood could have killed even the strongest.

Botta took Anna away from the scene, even though she was demanding to stay. Eventually, Botta had to drag her away so he could get her to calm down. With her only family left, lying in a pool of his own blood, there wasn't much Yuan expected Botta to do.

Yuan cursed under his breath. He was filled with rage for whoever did this, and so soon. What did they want from them? How many more people were on their hit-list? Before Botta left, he turned his head and looked at him.

"Make sure she is guarded at all times. I have a feeling she will be the next one to go."

"Why did they kill him? They might as well kill me now! They killed my family! Lloyd and Kratos are dead because of this leader! Let him kill me!" Anna yelled as Yuan turned, looking away from her. He could understand her frustration, but then again, he only lost one person he loved dearly, not two.

"Where's Mighty? He was with Lloyd! What if they took him too?" Genis yelled, looking around the room for his missing friend. "I can't lose him…" Before Genis could finish, another shot rang out in the inn. Yuan turned his head; it was close. Following the attack, the breaking of glass was heard from the next room over. He turned to Botta, then at Genis.

"You two, go find out what that was. I'll stay here with Anna and Lloyd! Go!"

The two nodded and Genis followed Botta, weapons drawn and ready to attack if the villain was still there.

Yuan bent down next to Lloyd and began checking for a pulse. He couldn't believe what was happening. Lloyd was still alive!

"Anna! He's still alive! He has a pulse!" Yuan yelled. She ran over to him and knelt down next to his body. She was crying happily now as Yuan picked Lloyd up carefully. "But we have to hurry or he will die."

"Where are you going to put him?"

"Right now, on his bed so we can bandage this up. Stay here with him and I will go get the stuff. Don't leave him."

Anna nodded her head as Yuan ran out of the room. However, he ran into Genis, who was running at him from the other room.

"Mighty was shot too! What are we going to do?" Genis yelled as Yuan stopped. He turned to Genis.

"How bad is it?"

Genis shook his head. "He's awake and he's not going to die, but he's in serious pain! Where are you going?"

"Put him in Lloyd's room and all of you watch them! I'll be back with supplies from our room."

Genis nodded his head and ran back to tell Botta what to do. Yuan turned and ran back to the lobby to his room. He opened the door and looked around for the needed supplies. Once he found everything, he caught a glimpse of a note on his bed. He had a feeling it was from his friend…The Leader. He opened it up and sure enough, it was him, but hand written.

_Lloyd…call him a lucky one for surviving my shot. I never really had an intention to kill him, but he knew too much. I guess I'm the one to blame for that, and I am beginning to wonder if that conversation will lead to my downfall. But, Lloyd will not be able to talk for a while, so if you want to live to catch me, you had best use your brain Yuan. Lloyd can't do everything for you, so I hope you catch me soon before more are killed. I know you can do that…wait, ugh! Man I'm giving n 2 e-z, hope to c your…super work._

For some reason, Yuan reread that last line. _Why does the last line in his notes never make sense? Maybe they should, but I haven't found the hidden meaning. _He knew he had to help Lloyd and Mighty before both of them were dead. Then he stopped. Mighty must have seen the guy who shot him. He took his supplies up to Lloyd's room and Botta, Genis, and Anna helped bandage the two boys. Yuan tapped Mighty on the shoulder that wasn't wounded and motioned him to come outside when he was finished. Mighty nodded and walked outside the room with Yuan.

"Alright Mighty, tell me who did this. You could possibly help us catch this guy. Tell me what happened."

Mighty looked down at the ground. "I…I didn't see him. I heard his voice, but that was it. I came into my room after my conversation with Lloyd and when I shut my door, I heard him and he shot. When I was on the ground, he left through the window. I'm sorry. I was too stupid and careless. I'm the one to blame for that."

Yuan dropped his head. He didn't see anything, just got caught off guard. He wondered why he wasn't dead and why the leader didn't kill him. He smiled at him. "Let's just count your blessings that you're alive."

Mighty smiled and walked to check on Lloyd. Yuan followed, but he went to go compare notes. He shut the door to his room and turned on the light. He pulled out the two notes and began looking over them.

_It's in the last line. It has to be. Neither if the endings make sense. He's trying to tell me something in these lines, but what? What could he possible want to tell me? His name, his intentions, motives, the next person? Why didn't he kill Mighty when he had the chance? Did they know each other? Is that why he hasn't going after Lloyd until the right time? _He shook his head and went back to reading the note. _If he wants me to see something, this is the best way to pull it out._

He looked up when he heard a light tapping on his door. "Come in." He looked over his shoulder to see Genis step inside.

"Thanks for saving Lloyd. He was almost dead."

Yuan smiled, but shook his head. "I take it he has a lot of strength. Where did he get shot?"

"On the side of his head. The bullet didn't penetrate his skull, so he lived. He's one lucky kid. I wonder is his father saved him, or kicked him back down when he found out he was dead."

Yuan laughed at his joke. "Ask Lloyd when he gets up."

Genis lowered his head. "It will be a while before he can talk. A shot to the head doesn't come without consequences if you lived to talk about it."

Yuan shook his head. "I understand. If we don't find this guy soon, Lloyd won't have too much of a welcome when he wakes up, if he didn't get put out permanently. Since you're here, I have a question for you."

Genis looked back up in confusion. "What is it?"

"Help me out here and sign your name to this paper."

Genis was horrified. "I didn't do anything. I didn't write that Yuan. I would never do…"

Yuan sileced him. "I know, just humor me and do it." Genis sighed and did what he was told. Once he was done, he held it up. "Why didn't you sign your whole name?"

"It's the signature we use at the Academy. We do the entire first name and the middle and last initial. Did that help or something?"

Yuan shook his head. "I don't know, but I have another one for you. Describe your friend, Edect."

Genis dropped his jaw. "He's dead Yuan! He wouldn't do this even if he was alive!"

"Answer my question! Was he like Mithos?"

Genis shook his head, then stopped. "Well, he was short like him, but his hair was short and black."

Yuan smiled then turned away from Genis. "I think he's the one." Before Genis could question him, he continued. "Lloyd said the person was just like Mithos. Same size, pretty much the same person. Anna saw this guy run into the ruins before it was blown up and said that he was dressed in all black. Tell me how I am wrong? He is smart too, right?"

"He died in that fire!"

"We don't know that. For all we know, he could have done it himself."

Genis shook his head angrily. "No! He wouldn't have done this! He was a good kid!" With that said, he stormed away and left. Yuan was taken back by his anger, but it didn't bother him; he knew who the leader was.


	12. Realizing the Truth

I was going to have the leader guy fight in this one, but I wanted to perhaps, leave you hanging! If you don't know by the end of this who the leader is...something is wrong. Do what Yuan did and you will find out. However, I didn't really want you to know, or maybe be 100 percent sure, so I saved that for later. Who knows, the leader might not be who you think. I only have a few, maybe two more chapters left, so I hope I don't totaly ruin the story.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales, but hey! I can say that I own Edect, even though it took me forever to come up with the name!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_Realizing the Truth_

As Genis stormed away from the room, Yuan turned around and thought about what he had said. There was a possibility that Edect had survived that fire, but they had yet to see him. Mighty and Genis seemed pretty torn up about the whole thing, but someone who would kill for no reason would betray a friend. So far, Edect was the only person who fit the description, whether Genis liked it or not. However, he recognized the voice, and he had never met Edect before, or even knew what he looked like. Lloyd knew Edect, but nothing came up about him. He began to put Edect's motives into the plan.

_The boat, how did he get on the boat? How did he know? If he did get on, how did he follow us and not stop Kvar then and there? How did he know that Kvar was going to inform us about him? _Too many questions were left unanswered. He needed more from Mighty and Genis to help see if Edect truly was the enemy. _It's something about these notes that is supposed to give it away. A few minutes after Lloyd was shot, he had enough time to shoot Mighty and write that note. How could he have done it in a short amount of time?_

Once again, he reread the notes to see if he was missing anything. However, he came up empty handed. _Edect, if you are the mysterious villain, what am I missing…and how do you know me when I have never met you? _He thought about that last thought; he knew Yuan by name. _How does he know that I was looking into this? He has to be following me around, but each time, the leader was preoccupied. Nothing makes sense, or maybe Edect isn't the leader at all._

For some reason, Yuan couldn't seem to get his mind off the fact that he was wrong. Genis' attitude when he told him who he thought it was was beginning to get to him. He decided to go back to the notes. He was missing something and he didn't know what.

_The last line, both of them have to have something in common._ He wrote down the two lines and looked at them both. He read them and studied them for an hour or so, but nothing seemed to show up. After a few more minutes, he saw a similarity that he didn't see before. _They all start with 'Man, I'm giving', but what about the rest? 'Giving n 2 e-z'? Everything else is spelt out…that's it!_ He took all the spelt out words and came up with: 'Man, I'm giving help to you so work,' and 'Man, I'm giving hope to your super work'. He also realized that the 'so work' and 'super work' followed three periods. He also discovered that each sentence was eight words long.

_Am I'm supposed to look at the first part? _He looked at the words carefully until his head hurt. He was so close to figuring this out, but then he couldn't put a finger on it. _'Man I'm giving', then something that starts with 'H', followed by 'to', a form of you, three periods, an 's' and 'work'. What am I supposed to get from that? _He slammed his fists on the table, then stood up and knocked the chair over.

"Dammit! Why can't I figure this out? Who and where are you Mr. Leader? I won't let you kill anyone else anymore!"

"You yelling at someone in particular?"

The second voice made Yuan turn to see who it was, then he sighed. "Not really. I was just getting all my frustration out; it helped. What do you want Anna?"

She looked away from him and at the floor. "Why would someone try and kill Lloyd? Are they after me or something?"

Yuan shook his head. "I don't know. All I do know is that Lloyd is one lucky child. No one survives a bullet to the head too often."

"Was it because he kept having those dreams? Was he figuring out who did it?"

"Perhaps. Lloyd's image of the leader was becoming more and more descriptive with every dream. I wonder if he had one before he was shot." Anna didn't reply. Yuan sighed. "I will find who did this to Lloyd Anna. I know that he will be okay, so now I have to make sure that this killer doesn't come back and finish what he failed to do."

Anna smiled. "Genis said you thought his friend did it. He told me he couldn't."

Yuan looked confused. "Why not? He seems like the killer to me."

She turned to leave and looked back at Yuan. "Genis and Mighty said that he couldn't swim."

Yuan couldn't believe what he heard. Edect, the only person he thought could have done it, couldn't swim! He knew that took him off the list. If he couldn't swim, then who would he have gotten on the boat and lived to tell about it? If he didn't get on the boat, how did he track them down? Now he had a feeling that Genis was right; Edect was more than likely killed in that fire. Before Anna left, he stopped her.

"Wait…I have a question for you."

She stopped and turned around. "What's that?"

He reached to his desk and pulled the paper he had been writing on. It had the last line of every note written down, as well as some of his own interpretations.

"What do you see in those sentences?"

Anna looked at them, and reread them, then looked up at Yuan. "They don't make sense?"

Yuan chuckled. "Other than that. This is what I have come down to and I can't seem to figure this out. What are the similarities between the first word of each sentence, and so on?"

Anna looked back at the paper and smiled. "Well…each corresponding word starts with the same letter."

Yuan was shocked. He looked back down at the note and realized that she was right. He smiled, then sat back down at the desk to write the letters down. When he did, he couldn't believe what he saw. It wasn't Edect. He knew who it was, and he looked back at the notes. _That voice! It was his! He fits the description and he always came up with excuses that lead us away from him! I don't believe this!_

Anna was just as shocked as he was. "Is that the leader guy?"

Yuan tried to calm down. "I…I don't know, but there's only one way to find out."

Anna stopped him. "But that's just the first six letters out of eight!"

"Genis told me that at the Academy in Palmacosta, they use a signature when they do fancy reports or stuff like that. They only use their entire first name, followed by their middle and last initials. He had us going for a while, but we have caught him now." He reached over and pulled out his weapon, the pistol that Kvar had on him. If he was going to catch this guy, he had to do it soon. He was putting people in danger.

"I've figured you out, Mr. Leader. I won't let you hurt anyone else. It ends for you here!"

"Where are you going?" Anna yelled after him.

Yuan turned to her. "Stay here. I'll have Botta watch over you. I don't know if this is the leader or not, but he will provide me with answers."

-----

Genis and Mighty sat next to each other while they watched over Lloyd. Mighty turned to Genis.

"I'm sorry for what happened to Lloyd. That was really freaky when I heard the gun go off."

Genis looked over at his friend and smiled. "Yeah, that was scary. As much as we were scared, I can only imagine how his mother reacted when she saw what happened."

Might shook his head. "True. That was definitely something I would not want to see."

"Especially after she lost Kratos to Kvar. I don't know what I would do if I was in that position."

"What about Raine? You lost your sister and a friend, and almost another!"

Genis sighed. "I know, but still…at least I didn't see my sister get killed in front of my face. That leader must have something for Anna. That's my guess."

Mighty smiled. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, just think about it. Kvar killed Kratos in front of everyone and we heard the shot that almost killed Lloyd!"

"True. I don't know what I would do. What's really weird is the fact that we didn't see him leave this room. How did he get out without us seeing him?"

"Good question. He didn't take the window, so maybe he blended in well with the people in the inn. Maybe he _was_ one of those people."

"I hope not, because now, who are we going to trust? And how many are there in this group?"

"You're asking the wrong person Mighty. Yuan is in charge of figuring this out."

"Yeah but, who said we could trust him? After all, he blamed Edect for all of this. He was our friend Genis! We know that he wouldn't do that!"

Genis frowned. "I know, but he doesn't like the fact that he is our friend and because of it, he wouldn't do this. He didn't know Edect, so he's just making a guess. He was close to Kratos, so I think he is taking that attack personally."

Mighty growled. "Man, just thinking about that attack makes me so mad! I hate that Kvar guy. He thought he was so cool to kill Lloyd's father!"

Genis nodded. "He did a lot to Lloyd and his family, especially when Lloyd was a baby. That's what he told me anyway. I thought my life was rough; I would have hated to live like they did _and _raise a child!"

Mighty laughed. "That's so true! It's hard enough watching kids, let alone run from the Desians while doing so! That's too much work!"

Genis was taken back. "How did you know about that?"

"Lloyd told me." Genis nodded and listened to his friend continue. "But seriously, it wasn't even part of the plan and Kvar still killed him! That must have been some serious hatred right there."

Genis was even more confused. "The leader didn't want Kratos to get killed? Kvar didn't follow orders?"

"That's funny. The only four people who knew that were me, Lloyd, the leader, and Kvar. How did you know that?"

The two boys looked up and stared at Yuan, gun lifted into the air.

Genis freaked out. "What are you doing? Are…are you the leader!"

Yuan didn't take his eyes off the person he was looking at. "No Genis, I'm not, but I have figured out who is."


	13. The Truth Hurts

Well, I have to say that this is almost done. I have one more chapter after this, so I hope I do a good job and not make anyone mad because the ending sucked or something. Hopefully, I answer some questions and all the ones I don't get to will be in the next one. So...without wasting anymore time, here is Chappy 13!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales, okie?**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_The Truth Hurts_

Yuan was glaring at the two boys that were stunned and scared in front of him. Genis shook his head and looked around.

"I don't see anyone! Who are you accusing Yuan?"

Yuan pulled out the two notes that he had and held them in one hand, his gun still pointed in the other.

"I received these two notes from our friend. The last line in each was where the clue was given, because neither of them made since. After a few days of thinking and some help from a friend, I figured out the last line. Similarities: every spelt out word started with the same letters, M, I, G, H, T, Y…S, W. Thanks to what you told me about your signature, you know, first name, middle and last initial, you tell me who the leader is?"

Genis shook his head harder. "No…no I don't believe you."

Yuan didn't listen to him. "You knew about Kvar's disobedience when I only told Lloyd. On the boat, you claimed you tripped on stairs, when you used that to cover up your talking to Kvar. When we interviewed him, you didn't like the fact that he was going to tell us who you were, so you killed him. When you shot Lloyd, you walked to your room and shot yourself to cover up your…attempted kill. If you weren't leader, he would have killed you. I also realized the cuts on your hand where you broke the glass. I've figured you out…Mighty Washington!"

Genis could feel everything inside him go numb. He shook his head, not wanting to believe what Yuan said. However, there was more against his friend than for him.

"I see you're not as stupid as you look. Congrats for figuring me out. I did do all of that, as well as burn down that stupid Academy. It wasn't challenging enough for me. People like Edect were invading and making the Academy go easy on people because no one was smart enough." Mighty laughed and smiled. "All I had to do was treat everyone kindly and kill them when their back was turned."

"Why did you team up with Kvar?"

"He came to me. He said I had the potential to be great with how smart I was. I listened to his talk and joined him. However, I began to take control and he was more of the physical person. I just used wit to outsmart you and these fools here."

"Why did you kill Raine and try to kill Lloyd?"

"They were catching on to me. I guess I slipped with Lloyd, just like I did now, but I'm human, I make mistakes. Everyone, even Kratos, was catching on to me. I'll tell you the same thing I told Lloyd; I play to win."

"What game are you playing Mighty? Why haven't you killed Genis yet?"

Mighty laughed. "Do I have to tell you everything? I didn't kill Genis because he was the only person I knew that would be a challenge. No one else seemed to understand the power of the mind. Everyone else wanted to fight."

Genis began to back away from Mighty. "I don't believe this. You…you were my friend! Why did you do all of this? My sister, Kratos, Lloyd! You killed them because of _me_?"

Mighty looked over at him. "If you want to put it that way, then yes. The minute I saw Lloyd with you, I had to save you from becoming corrupt and stupid like he was."

"Raine and Kratos were smart people. Why did you kill them?" Yuan asked.

"Both were catching on to me and neither of them trusted me. They both would have gotten in my way and Genis would have found out about what I was doing. And, Kvar killed Kratos, not me."

Yuan walked up to Mighty and glared at him. "I don't care. You were both in the plan together, so you killed him, just like he had something to do with the killings you did."

Mighty laughed again. "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't want to kill Kratos until _after_ Lloyd was dead. I wanted to kill him first, but Kvar ruined that for me."

"Why did you kill him when you did? Why so late?"

"I was going to kill Anna first, but I slipped, so I had to make sure that I…didn't lose."

Mighty reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun. Yuan and Genis were stunned and Mighty fired at Yuan. He avoided the bullet, but Mighty didn't stop shooting. Confused, hurt, and angry, Genis did the only thing he could do and tackled Mighty. The gun went flying out of his hands and Genis pinned him to the ground.

"Get off me Genis! You don't want me to kill you too!" Mighty yelled at him.

"You killed my sister! You almost killed my best friend! You burned down our school because it wasn't good enough for you! You made me trust you and now I know the truth!" Genis landed a punch in Mighty's face as he continued yelling. "Why did you do all of this? Why did you have to kill so many people who didn't deserve their death?"

Mighty didn't answer and punched Genis to get him off his arms. He pushed him off and reached for his gun. Once he had the gun in his hands, he pointed it at Genis.

"Maybe I've changed my mind Genis. If you like your friends that much, perhaps your death will come as a reward for me and this life."

He smiled and prepared to fire the gun. Genis closed his eyes and awaited his death. His friend was going to kill him! He could feel the tears of fear run down his face as a gunshot was fired. However, Genis didn't feel anything. He opened his eyes and saw Yuan holding his gun up and saw it was smoking. Yuan had fired at Mighty and Genis saw that he was unconscious, more than likely dead.

"I'm sorry Genis. He deserved it." Yuan said, dropping his weapon. Genis fell to his knees and brought his hands to his face. Mighty had deceived him from the very beginning. Mighty never liked him and now, because of the trust he had from Genis, he killed his sister, one of his friends, and his best friend's father. He held himself responsible for what happened. Everyone trusted him because Genis did, causing some of them their lives. He felt a hand on his shoulder and dropped his hands.

"Yuan? I…I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't know."

Yuan smiled at the small half-elf. "Don't you think about blaming yourself for this Genis. No one expected him to do this. I'm just glad we stopped him before he killed someone else."

"Was he the leader? What if he worked for someone too?"

Yuan didn't reply. In all honesty, he wasn't sure himself. The only person who knew was dead. He helped Genis up to his feet and smiled. "Let's go tell the others. I'm sure they would want to know what happened here."


	14. The End

YAY! This is the last chappy! YAY! I have finally finished this! It took me a lot of thinking on how to end this, so I hope that you like it!  
**I have to say **that I am very appreciative for all of you who have read all of this. Nothing makes me happier than to see all the reviews I get for a single story. I want to thank you all...since there are so many of you! Had it not been for your replies and comments, I don't know how far this would have gotten. I especially want to thank those who were mad at me for all the deaths and stuff, but continued to read anyway! That takes some determination there, and I am grateful!  
Now, I think I have said enough, and I am sorry for not replying to your reviews, but I will do it on this one. Thanks again for all of you who have helped me through this!

**Disclaimer:** Since it is the last one...uh, I still don't own anything!**

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**Bonds of Trust  
**_The End…?_

Yuan led Genis to down the stairs to talk to the remaining group about what just happened. As they walked, Yuan began to think about what he was going to tell the others. They all trusted Mighty like he was a friend. No one would be expecting that he was the actual enemy. They reached the lobby to the inn and sat down on the couch. Anna and Botta were waiting for them and both were happy to see them alive after hearing the gunshot.

"What happened? I can see by the look on your faces that something happened. Who is dead?" Botta asked.

Yuan took a deep breath. "There is a lot that we never got to ask, but we do know who the leader was." Anna and Botta waited for the reply. "…It was Mighty. He deceived us from the very beginning. He was the one that worked with Kvar and did everything we know about."

Anna and Botta were stunned, just like Yuan expected. "How was he the leader? He had an alibi for everything that happened." Botta wondered.

"He did a good job at making us believe him from the beginning, so when he did lie to us, we would believe him."

"Does that mean that he was the one who shot Lloyd?" Anna asked.

Yuan nodded. "He did. After that, he walked into his room and shot himself, but not so he could have died. He made it look like the leader was there with him and escaped through the window. However, if that really was the leader, he would have killed him, not left him there injured."

"Why would he hurt Lloyd? He acted like he cared about him!"

"He acted like he cared about a lot of things, but he never did. He shot Lloyd so he wouldn't tell anyone about what he knew."

"So, Mighty came out and told Lloyd that he was the leader?" Botta asked.

Yuan shook his head. "He didn't say he was the leader, but he told Lloyd something that no one else but me, Lloyd, Kvar, and the leader knew. My guess is that Lloyd figured it out when he shot him."

Genis spoke up. "But…he was there with me when the Academy went up in flames! He couldn't have burned it down!"

"He admitted it himself that he did it Genis." Yuan said. "You also said that you went looking for him when he didn't come back. Why did he take so long and why did he not come back?" Genis didn't answer and let Yuan continue his speech.

"On the boat, he followed us down to save Lloyd and Genis when it was sinking. However, when we left to go back to the dock, he was gone. During that time, he contacted Kvar to talk to him. It was then that they argued about Kvar's motives to kill Kratos, but Kvar disobeyed him and killed him anyway.

"When we got off the boat and reached land, Mighty was one of those who were there when we interviewed Kvar. That's how he knew about the fact that he was going to tell us who he was. In order to stop that from happening, he killed him. He went to Genis and told him what happened, and then came to me, telling us that Kvar was dead.

"After Raine left to go on the archeology find, Mighty had to take her out. He told us that she was catching on to him. During his time on duty, he ran and planted the bomb, then ran back and fell asleep. When Lloyd told him about the dream, he knew then that Lloyd was figuring him out as well. They had enough time to reach the ruin before it blew up, but Mighty added time by asking questions and doubting Lloyd's dream. He also stopped for a break until it did explode.

"The only person that Mighty had to do away with was Lloyd. After hearing about his dreams, he knew it wouldn't take long for Lloyd to figure out who he was. That night, before both went to bed, he told Lloyd about the Kvar's disobedience, and Lloyd left to go to sleep. During that time, he figured out who it was and got up to tell us, but not before Mighty shot him."

"Did he intend on killing him?" Anna asked after Yuan was done talking.

"I don't know. It was a shot that would have killed most people, so my guess is that yes…it was meant to kill him. He might have been a little anxious or worried about Lloyd's findings, since no one else actually knew, keeping Lloyd alive. I found that he did not want to get caught while listening to his conversation with Kvar before he shot Kratos."

"So he never wanted to get caught? Then, why did he send you those notes?" Botta asked.

Yuan shook his head. "I think to show us how smart he was. That was one of the things he said he hated about the world; no one was smart enough to challenge him, except Genis. He burned down the school for that reason. He might have written those notes to show us that he could continue doing what he did and not get caught."

"So, where is he now?" Anna wondered.

Yuan looked at Genis, then back at the two of them. "I killed him." Botta and Anna looked horrified, but Genis spoke up.

"He did it to save me. Mighty was going to kill me because I liked Lloyd and everyone else that he thought was stupid. I thought he was going to kill me, until Yuan killed him first."

Botta smiled. "Nothing less I would expect from you Yuan. Now that we know the truth, how about we go check up on Lloyd?"

The others nodded and walked up the stairs to Lloyd's room. He was still asleep, his head bandaged from where he got shot. Anna walked up to him, followed by Genis, Yuan, and Botta. When they got to his bedside, Lloyd slowly woke up, wincing in pain as he did so.

"It's alright Lloyd. It's all over." Yuan said calmly. "Everything has been taken care of."

Lloyd smiled, then looked over at Anna. "He…he didn't…kill you!" he replied happily. Genis smiled and approached Lloyd.

"Nope. He sure didn't! He was about to kill me though, and that was scary!"

Lloyd looked at Genis. "I…I'm sorry…I wish I…could have helped."

"Don't worry about it Lloyd. You just heal up!"

Lloyd nodded the best he could and smiled. "What…what happened?"

Yuan spoke up. "Mighty is dead Lloyd. The leader is gone. There is nothing left to worry about anymore. We can go back to the way we…" He stopped and looked away from everyone. He didn't need to finish his statement for the others to know what he was about to say. So much had happened to each of them…things would never be the same again.

"It's okay…we'll find a way…to be happy. That's what…everyone would want…right?"

The group turned to Lloyd and smiled. "That's right Lloyd. We'll find a way to be happy."

He smiled at the group and everyone decided to let Lloyd get some rest, as well as themselves. Everyone left, except Yuan. Lloyd wanted him to stay and tell him what happened to Mighty.

"I want to know what happened…what did he tell you." Yuan sat down and began repeating his story. Once he was done, Lloyd looked away. "I thought…that I could trust him…like he was going to be…a good friend. I don't have many…but he would definitely be one…if he was the way he acted."

"I know what you mean. When I figured it out, I didn't know what to say. I pretty much went off instincts and he came out and told me the truth. I wasn't expecting him to do any of what he did. Now, you have to get better soon. It would be wise to not stay here for too long. People are going to begin questioning our actions here."

Lloyd nodded and Yuan stood up and turned to leave.

"Yuan…?"

He turned around and smiled at Lloyd. "Yes?"

"…Do you think…that, my Dad is proud of me?"

Yuan smiled and looked directly at Lloyd. "I don't think Lloyd…I know he is." Lloyd smiled and closed his eyes. Yuan turned and left the room, leaving the proud teen to rest to heal. He shut the door and sighed, looking at the ground. "I just wish you were alive to tell him that Kratos."

Yuan walked down the stairs to his room and shut the door. Botta sat on the bed waiting for him to return.

"Do you think that Mighty was the leader?"

Yuan nodded. "It's not one hundred percent, but I do believe he was. Why do you ask?"

"He was a child. He had so much left to do in his life. Why would he want to do all that he did?"

"I don't know. Some people are crazy like that." Botta didn't reply back. Yuan walked to his bed and sat down, trying to clear his mind after all that had happened. However, there was one question that remained…and it might never be solved.

_Was Mighty the leader?_


End file.
